She Will Be Loved
by Rheanne
Summary: I know that goodbye means nothing at all, comes back and makes me catch her every time she falls.
1. She Will Be Loved

Disclaimer: I don't own anything…

A/N: Okay, so I've discontinued the Caught in the Jar series, at least for now. Insert boo's or yay's here . I'm sorry for the people who enjoyed that story, but there are things that I was planning to do that now seem totally inappropriate and/or naïve. That's not to say that I won't ever continue the story, but at least not anytime in the foreseeable future. So once again, I'm sorry…

I've had the idea for this fic bumping around my head for the last few months, but kept putting it off in hopes of finding a muse for CIJ --but since that's not happening--I've decided to go on with this fic. I hope that everyone enjoys it. Oh yeah and the title come from the amazing Maroon 5 song, _She Will Be Loved._

A/N 2: Alright, here we go…This fic is AU and set in the future. It contains an OC, which I've never used before, but is necessary for the story. Everything that has happened with Journey has occurred in this fic right up to the anniversary of the miscarriage.

Summary: Things aren't always what they appear to be. Sometimes, the "perfect" marriage isn't perfect. Who do you turn to when the world collapses around you?

****

She Will Be Loved Ch. 1:

Sonny Corinthos groaned softly in his sleep, the loud ringing of his cell phone ripping through the quiet darkness of his bedroom. He considered ignoring it, but knew that was no longer an option as Carly was now hitting him hard on the arm.

"Damn it, Sonny! Will you answer that before it wakes up the boys!" She ordered through her exhaustion before collapsing back on the bed and shoving her head deep in the pillow.

"This better be good…" his voice was gravely as he greeted the person on the other line.

"Boss…"

"Max it's two-thirty in the morning, what the hell do you want?"

"We have an issue, sir." Max voice quivered slightly.

"I'm sure that you are more than equipped to handle it. Now let me get back to sleep."

"It's your sister, Mr. Corinthos." Sonny was about to hang up the phone when Max's comment stopped him. Courtney? He had just spoken to her two nights ago over the phone. He sensed that something was wrong but just attributed to his feelings for her husband, Doug Brady. God, he hated the over-confident business tycoon. He remembered the sinking feeling that came over him when he was first introduced his sister's then boyfriend. She had met him through Jax, who had gone running back to Brenda the second that she reemerged in Port Charles. Courtney was vulnerable and Brady knew it.

Sonny had tried to explain it to Courtney, but she was sure that her older brother was exaggerating and being overprotective. Still, he was unable to shake the disgust he felt for his sister's companion and nearly had a heart attack when she informed him that her and Doug would be getting married and moving away to California. He had tried to reason with her, saying that it was too soon for such things as marriage and moving. After all, they had only been dating for less than a year, but she would hear nothing of it. Doug had a job opportunity that he just couldn't turn down, she had explained with a bright smile. The only opportunity Doug saw was getting her away from her family, Sonny was sure of it.

Still, Courtney had left with her new husband to build a life in California. She was miserable there, but never voiced it. Sonny could tell by the way her voice would drop over the phone or her uneasy appearance when she returned to Port Charles for her yearly visits. There was a time when he was sure that she would leave, but then she found out that she was pregnant with Olivia. It came as shock to everyone after everything that had occurred with the miscarriage, but Courtney was glowing with happiness. It was almost three years later when Hannah was born.

"Sir…" Max's tone broke into his thoughts and quickly brought him back to reality.

"What about my sister?" He heard some muffling and began to grow impatient with his guard's hesitation to answer the very simple question. "Max…" he growled.

"She's here, boss. It's not pretty…" The other man said the last part lowly, which only intensified Sonny's worry.

"Get her up here, right now." He ordered gruffly before forcing himself out of bed.

"Is everything alright, Sonny?" Carly's tone was filled with worry, but he didn't have the energy to explain it to her. Instead, he opted to just shake his head and stalk out of the room.

* * *

Courtney shifted uncomfortably under Max's scrutinizing stare. Her arms were cramped from holding both of her sleeping daughters, which was no easy task considering that Olivia was now five. She wondered what exactly the guard was telling Sonny, but knew that it was nothing her big brother didn't already know about. Sonny knew all along that Doug was bad news, but she refused to hear it. When she finally did recognize it, well it was too late. She lost seven years of her life to that dirt bag, but no more. She wouldn't do it any longer. It was just too much… 

"He's waiting for you upstairs," Max informed her as he carefully took Olivia from her arms and into his own. The load was a lot lighter with just two-year-old Hannah, but something else weighed on Courtney. She wouldn't be able to gauge Sonny's reaction, which bothered her more than anything. It had taken all the courage she had to come here and face him in the condition she was in now. But it was necessary. She needed her older brother more than anything right now and knew that he would never turn his back on her. She reminded herself of that as the elevator came to a stop and the door to Sonny's Penthouse swung open.

* * *

Sonny drew in a deep breath as he took in Courtney's haggard state. He first noticed the deep purple bruise that surrounded her left eye that coupled with a split lip was enough to make his blood boil. As she neared him, he observed other minor lacerations that adorned her face as well as forearms. Without a second thought, he steered her into his apartment and turned to Max who offered him Olivia, who stirred slightly but quickly settled back into a deep sleep in her Uncle's arms. 

"What's going on?" Carly descended from the top of stairs and quickly surveyed the scene before her. "Oh my." She rushed to her sister-in-law's side and tried to pull her into an embrace but Courtney remained rigid.

"Carly, will you put the girls in the guestroom, please?" Sonny asked softly and watched his wife open her mouth, but quickly clamped it shut. Instead, she gathered up the two girls and carefully made her way towards the downstairs' guest room without a sound. Sonny waited until she was out of sight and went about making himself a drink. Courtney seemed uncomfortable as she shifted from one foot to another.

"How long has that been going on?" Sonny's dark eyes settled on the deep bruise as he gestured to it with his glass. Courtney's mind raced, she wanted to tell him the truth but wasn't sure she was ready for the embarrassment that was sure to come along with her confession. All her life she had fought to be viewed as a strong and independent woman, but now look at her. "Don't try and protect him, Courtney." _Yeah, that's who I'm trying to protect_, she thought sardonically.

"It started a little after Via was born," she answered quietly and watched as her brother's fingers clenched tightly around the glass decanter filled with whiskey. "It's never been this bad…"

"It should have never been to begin with," his voice was tight and caused his sister to flinch slightly. "Five years, Court? How could you not tell me?" She didn't answer him, but turned her gaze towards the floor. Why hadn't she told him? Fear? Embarrassment? Both answers seemed plausible, but hardly excusable. "He ever touch those girls?" Sonny gestured towards the hallway that Carly had just taken Olivia and Hannah down.

"Absolutely not!" Courtney growled in indignation. She would never allow Doug to lay a hand on either of her daughters and Sonny's question, while a reasonable one, insulted her.

"I'm going to take care of this," her brother replied softly and was met with an empathetic shake of the head.

"You can't…"

"What? You're not planning on going back to him, are you?" Sonny's tone was angry but soft at the same time.

"No, but you don't know Doug like I do, alright?" The dark haired man didn't seem to understand. "He's going to know it's you and take you down with him. He's a very powerful man, Sonny."

"He can't take me down if he's dead, Courtney." He reasoned but was met with another shake of the head.

"He will figure out a way to do it. I'm sure of it…" She replied firmly. "Plus, I'm here now. I don't think that he'll come after me."

"How can you be sure?"

"I'm not." Courtney whispered quietly and was met with an exasperated look. "Sonny, please don't do this." Sonny searched her eyes and could feel his resolve crumbling. He always had trouble saying no to her and tonight was no different. He would let Doug go. For now…

"You're staying here where I can keep an eye on things. And when you go out with the girls, there will be guards with you at all times." He ordered sternly and was met with a gently nod. He nodded in return before gathering his sister up in his arms. She crumbled in his embrace and soon felt his t-shirt being soaked in her tears.

"How could I be so stupid? I really thought that I could change him." She mumbled quietly into his chest and Sonny drew in a breath to help ease the overwhelming disgust he felt for Doug Brady. He had never wanted to kill someone more in his entire life, but knew that he couldn't. He hadn't felt this helpless in a long time and it made him sick.

* * *

Jason entered the Corinthos' Penthouse without even knocking. It was close to eleven in the morning and he knew that most everyone in the house would be up, except for Carly. His female best friend had a pension for sleeping well past the noon marker on the clock. He was about to cross the parlor and enter the kitchen, when a mess of blonde curls caught his eye. The little girl half crawled, half walked towards him with a huge smile on her face. 

"Hey there," his voice was soft as he lifted her from the ground. He pulled her away from himself for inspection and immediately recognized the dazzling blue eyes. The little girl was undoubtedly Courtney, which was odd because he had no idea that she was visiting. Sonny usually informed him of Courtney's arrival, but apparently not this time. Things between him and his ex wife were not as strained as they once were. Sure, they weren't as close as they used to be, but they were still on speaking terms.

"There you are," The kitchen door busted open and out rushed Courtney with a look of relief on her face as Hannah came into view. "What did Momma tell you about wandering off?" She carefully took the little girl from a set of strong arms without even looking at the male's face. Jason watched her be completely occupied by her daughter and took the time to study her. He immediately noticed her normally clear complexion was littered with abrasions.

"What the hell happened to your eye?" She jumped slightly, caught off guard by his comment. She was even more shocked to see him. For some reason, she never comprehended the fact that she might run into her ex husband that still lives right across the hall.

"Jason…"

"Sason!" Hannah clapped her hand vigorously trying to mimic her mother.

* * *

**A/N**: So what did you think? Love it, hate it? I really miss how close Sonny and Courtney used to be...I've got to add that this story was somewhat inspired by the Rachel Proctor song, _Me and Emily._


	2. Concrete Angel

**

* * *

Disclaimer: **I don't own anything… 

A/N 2: Alright, here we go…This fic is AU and set in the future. It contains an OC, which I've never used before, but is necessary for the story. Everything that has happened with Journey has occurred in this fic right up to the anniversary of the miscarriage.

Summary: Things aren't always what they appear to be. Sometimes, the "perfect" marriage isn't perfect. Who do you turn to when the world collapses around you?

****

She Will Be Loved Ch. 2:

I'll fix these broken things  
Repair your broken wings  
And make sure everything's alright

Courtney looked down at her daughter, who was now squirming uncomfortably in her mother's arms. She was grateful for the distraction Hannah offered, but knew that Jason would not be preoccupied for long. Instinctively, her delicate hand fluttered up towards the bruised area around her eye. The action drew even more attention from Jason and she silently scolded herself for being so obvious.

"So, what happened?" He shoved his hands into his back pockets and began to rock back and forth on the soles of his black leather shoes.

"Just a little accident…" Courtney returned but refused to look him directly in the eye. She heard him release a soft sigh and knew that he would not press the issue any further.

"I didn't know you were visiting." He stated and was met with a gently shrug of his ex wife's graceful shoulders.

"It was kind of a spur of the moment type of thing." She offered.

"Doug here?" Courtney winced involuntarily at the mention of her husband's name. She hoped that Jason had not noticed but knew that he was too observant not to.

"No," was the only answer she could muster and once again it seemed to suffice. "Are you looking for Sonny?" She tried desperately to change the line of questioning.

"Yeah, sort of…" He really didn't have much of a reason to come over the his boss's apartment this morning, but needed the reprieve from his own penthouse.

"Well, he just took Via and the boys out for brunch. I'm not sure when he's going to be back…" Jason nodded, but didn't move from his position in front of her. Knowing that he wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon, Courtney decided to try and catch up with the man she once considered her whole world. She carefully placed Hannah down on the nearby leather sofa and offered her the plush stuffed animal that the little girl had discarded when Jason entered the room. "I was just making some coffee, would you like to join me?" He nodded once again and followed Courtney towards the kitchen, making sure to leave the door open so they could keep an eye on Hannah.

He watched as she went about making two mugs of coffee and oddly found himself wondering if she remembered how he drank his. His curiosity was quelled when he watched her drop two spoonfuls of sugar into the first mug and placed it in front of him.

"You're still drinking black with two sugars, right?" She asked, but already knew the answer.

"Yup. You still going for the light with extra sugar?" He asked and was met with a nod. A looked of disgust came across his face and Courtney laughed. "Why don't you just drink a cup milk and sugar?"

"Why don't you just drink a cup of tar?" She returned with a roll of her eyes. It felt good to joke back and forth with someone, especially Jason. "How's Penny?" She watched him tense up slightly at the sound of his spouse's name. It came as quite a shock when the invitation came in the mail a few years. Out of all the girls she expected Jason to end up with, Penny was definitely not one of them. She didn't even know that they had ever spoken except when he ordered at Kelly's.

"We're actually in the process of a divorce." His eyes remained on the steaming dark liquid in front of him. If he looked up, he would have saw the Courtney's cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered quietly but the light haired man just nodded his head.

"You didn't know…"

"I know, but…"

"Can we just drop it, please?" He didn't mean for his voice to come out so tight and immediately offered her an apologetic smile. She smiled back and silence fell between the two. He watched her glance out at Hannah every few seconds and wondered if she even realized the way her features lit up with every giggle from her daughter. He was happy for her when he found out about her pregnancy, but deep down a sharp hurt sliced through him. Doug was able to give her the children she always wanted. Not him, but Doug. Sonny shared his distrust for his sister's husband with him on more than a few occasions and Jason too began to feel a sense repulsion every time the arrogant ass's name was brought up. He never understood what Courtney saw in Doug. He was controlling, manipulative, and slick enough to grease a pan. Sure, Jason had only met the man a few times, but that was all he needed to assess Brady. He was like Jax, only slimier.

"How long are you staying for?" He wasn't quite sure why the question left his lips, but knew that the silence was becoming too much.

"I'm not sure," she replied as she fiddled with the handle of her mug. He hated to see her in such a fragile state. The pain that littered her eyes was not lost on him, no matter how hard she tried to hide. Even after all these years, he knew her better than he knew himself.

"You know that if you ever need anything…"

"Jase," she interrupted, but he shook his head and placed his hand on top of hers.

"Anything, Courtney." He finished and she nodded. A small smile played on her lips as she wondered how exactly they could fall back into place as if nothing had ever happened. He still need to be her protector and she still need him to protect her. Strange how something's never change.

* * *

Bearing the burden of a secret storm  
Sometimes she wishes she was never born

Five-year-old Olivia Brady eyed the men surrounding her suspiciously. She was completely lost this morning when she woke up in a bed that wasn't her own. Her mother sat her down and carefully explained to her that they would no longer be living in California, that Port Charles was their new home. She had visited the New York suburb a few times with her mother, but never even considered taking up permanent residence with the family she only saw once a year. But here she was, sitting at a small diner table with her uncle and cousins. It was odd to say the least and she wished that at least Hannah was here so she wouldn't feel so out of place. The boys, Michael and Morgan, were piling food into their faces like there was no tomorrow while her Uncle Sonny watched her carefully over the rim of his cup of tea. Strange, she had never seen a man drink tea before. He didn't speak, just glanced her way every few moments. It wasn't like she had much to say to any of them anyways.

The black suit jacket of a man caught her attention. Her father always wore coats like that and she briefly wondered if it was his. Upon further inspection, she realized that the man was not her father. A soft sigh escaped her lips. It wasn't like she missed the old man. Actually it was quite the contrary, she had lived in fear of her so-called "daddy" since the day she was old enough to understand the screams that he often directed towards her mother. Her poor mother that had tried so hard to shield her from the fights and abuse, but always came up a little short. Never once in her young life had her father ever laid a hand on her, but the beatings he placed on her mother was more than enough to cause trauma. Hannah was still young enough to be oblivious to it, but not her. No, she had been dealing with the torment for as long as she could recall.

There was always a reason, each one more absurd than the last. "The house isn't clean enough. Dinner is cold. Hannah's crying in the middle of the night when I have work in the morning. Everything would be different if you didn't become pregnant with Olivia." Her father's voice rang through her ears like it always did, reminding her that she was the reason why their family was so dysfunctional. Each comment would undoubtedly end up with her mother sporting a new bruise and tear stained cheeks.

"You alright, doll?" Her Uncle's soothing voice caught her attention and for a moment she was caught off guard by his term of endearment. Her father didn't have very many encouraging nick names for her or Hannah and her mother always regarded her as Via. She nodded, but didn't offer a reply as her eyes settled down on the stack of waffles in front of her. She really wasn't that hungry, but it would be rude to leave the plate untouched. If there was one thing her father taught her, it was manners. Like you always say you're sorry after placing a particularly deep bruise on the woman that you're suppose to love.

After forcing down a few more bites, Olivia pushed the still quite full plate in front of her and noticed that everyone was waiting on her. She felt the blush begin to creep up her cheeks in embarrassment for making everyone else wait, but that was quickly alleviated when her older cousin Michael spoke up.

"We eat really fast…" He assured all the while poking Morgan in the side who nodded enthusiastically in agreement. She smiled in return, but still couldn't seem to find her voice around practical strangers. She watched Sonny throw a few bills on the table before ushering the children out in front of him. They began their walk home in silence. Michael and Morgan had raced ahead of them leaving her alone with a man she had barely ever spoken to. He didn't say anything for a while and she wondered if he was determined to keep up their journey in silence, because that would be fine by her standards.

"I was thinking that maybe we could enroll you in school. Do you like school?" She nodded and he smiled. "That's good. I never liked school. It wasn't really my thing." She sensed the neediness in his voice and for the first time she felt like someone was actually making an effort to get to know her.

"I've only been a few times…" Her voice was soft and she saw the look of surprise etch onto the older man's face at the sudden use of her oratory skills.

"What grade are you in?"

"Kindergarten."

"I'll go down the school tomorrow and see what we can do to get you into the class, ok?" His hand reached down to grasp hers as they came to the crossing walk where Michael and Morgan waited diligently for their companions.

"I'd like that. Thank you." She offered him a bright smile before running ahead to catch the boys who were racing full speed towards Harborview Towers.

* * *

**A/N**: Hmm...Penny? I'm not even quite sure where that came from. I was having trouble finding someone to match Jason up with and she just came to mind. Not that it matters, because she isn't going to be much of a factor in the story. Also, credit goes out to Maroon 5 and Martina McBride for the use of their lyrics. Anyways, let me know what you think. 


	3. So Many Nights

Disclaimer: I don't own anything…

A/N 2: Alright, here we go…This fic is AU and set in the future. It contains an OC, which I've never used before, but is necessary for the story. Everything that has happened with Journey has occurred in this fic right up to the anniversary of the miscarriage.

Summary: Things aren't always what they appear to be. Sometimes, the "perfect" marriage isn't perfect. Who do you turn to when the world collapses around you?

****

She Will Be Loved Ch. 3:

Cast your judgment, cast all your stones. Holding my hand, holding on to everything I have because its slipping away so fast and its all I have...

The resounding clickety-clack of high heels informed Jason and Courtney that they were no longer alone and both looked up to find Carly entering from the back stairwell. Her face immediately turned red as she tried in vain to turn around, but her presence had already been detected.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt…"she offered before heading back upstairs. Courtney watched in slight surprise of the demeanor her usually boisterous friend portrayed.

"Carly it's fine. Would you like a cup of coffee?" Jason motioned to the still half full pot on the counter.

"Are you sure? Because I can totally find something to busy myself with upstairs. You know away from you guys, so you can talk and stuff." Carly's eyes remained trained on the floor and Courtney immediately realized what was going on. Leave it to Carly to try and set her and Jason up the morning after she showed up broken and bruised.

"It's your house, Carly. Have a cup of coffee and take a seat. I was just going to take Hannah for a walk anyways." Courtney didn't mean for her voice to come out as hot as it did, but she needed to get her point across. She didn't need her over zealous sister-in-law trying to set her up with her ex husband a few hours after she left her present husband. "It was nice talking to you, Jase." She offered over her shoulder before sauntering out of the kitchen and into the parlor where Hannah remained fixated by her stuffed animal.

"Hey baby girl!" Courtney greeted easily plucking her daughter of the sleek leather couch. She watched in amusement as her youngest daughter giggled for no apparent reason. She just about had Hannah's jacket on when the door swung open and Michael and Morgan raced in, Olivia was hot on their tracks.

"Hi mom!" She called before following the boys upstairs. Courtney watched somewhat perplexed, Via normally didn't interact well with her peers. She liked to be alone a lot and never showed much interest in horsing around. Maybe it was just because Doug made her feel so alienated. She tried her best to protect her eldest daughter, but somehow her husband always seemed to make the poor girl feel like shit without saying a word.

"Where are you going?" Courtney looked up to find her brother standing in the doorway like a living roadblock.

"I'm taking Hannah for a walk."

"Absolutely not. Max shift isn't going to start for another two hours and you're not going anywhere unguarded." Sonny's voice remained firm and it flustered his baby sister.

"Michael Corinthos…"

"That's the rule, Courtney. I don't think it's asking to much," he held up his hand to cut off anymore argument and the young blonde could feel her face turning red in anger.

"I'm not going to hide out…" she tried but could see the look of resolution on her brother's face.

"You're not hiding. You are playing it safe." Sonny reasoned just as Carly and Jason entered the room. Carly eyed her sister-in-law in somewhat annoyance, but quickly hid her glare from Sonny.

"What's going on?" She asked softly and watched her husband shake his head dismissively. "I thought you two were leaving?"

"I was trying to…"

"Great! I'll go with you, guys. I've got some errands to run anyways." Carly informed brightly. Courtney watched her older brother ease up slightly at the thought of his very capable wife going with the duo. "That is if you don't mind."

"No of course not," Courtney replied with gritted teeth. _Anything to get me out of this house._

"Good! I'm just going to grab my keys." Carly exited only to return a few moments later, the jingling metal signaling her arrival. "Love you, dear." She kissed Sonny on the cheek.

"Be careful." He whispered and was met with a sly smile.

"We'll be fine," she assured before ushering Courtney and Hannah out the penthouse door.

Sonny watched the three females depart before turning his attention to Jason. Neither man said anything for a few moments as each was trying to file away the thoughts that Courtney had left them with. Jason noticed the looked of intense worry on his boss's face and waited patiently for him to speak.

"Doug…" the older man growled. Jason immediately knew what he was referring to and realized that his instincts were indeed correct. Courtney's so called "perfect" husband had inflicted the bruise that Courtney sported so casually. He wanted to fly over to California and tear the smarmy tycoon apart and wondered how long it would take for Sonny to order him to do so. "We can't go after him." He informed the younger man as if reading his thoughts.

"Why not?"

"I promised her we wouldn't."  
  
"I don't understand." Sonny let out a sigh before collapsing on to the couch. His hand reached to rub his temples in an effort to try and explain to Jason exactly what had occurred the night before.

"She's afraid that he's going to be our downfall or something…" he offered and his counterpart nodded, but was still not completely happy with the idea of doing nothing. A crash came from the top of the stairs and both men's heads jacked up only to find Michael with a huge grin on his face.

"Everything's fine. Don't worry," the young boy called before racing away.

"Great. I don't even want to know what they broke." Sonny whispered as he let his eyes slide close. The Penthouse was congested enough with just Carly and the boys. Now throw Courtney and her daughters into the mix and there was barely going to be breathing room.

"You alright?" Jason's voice cut into his thoughts and he looked up to find the young man's bright blue eyes tinged with concern.

"Yeah, there's just a lot going on right now." Sonny replied and was met with a nod in response. "I'm not sure how we are all going to coexist together. I mean I thought the boys were a handful. Hannah's in her terrible two's and Olivia is still very guarded. Not too mention the fact that Carly and Courtney are still quite tense around one another." The younger man didn't say anything for awhile, just listened to his older friend's concerns.

"Why don't Courtney and the girls get their own place?" He asked logically.

"I know guys like Brady. He's not going to give up that easily and when he comes around, I want to make sure I'm here. I don't like the idea of those girls being to far away." Even down the street seemed to far away from his watchful eye. The idea of them being alone in an apartment made him extremely jittery. He refused to allow his sister to be hurt any longer.

"Why don't they just move in with me?" Jason seemed a little shock the idea even left his lips and was met with a shake of the head from his boss.

"I couldn't ask you to do that. You have your own concerns to deal with right now." His comment referred to the bitter divorce that his young friend had been caught up in for well over two months. Penny was holding on for dear life, no matter how hard Jason tried to shake her off.

"I could actually use the distraction." He replied quietly and saw his boss wavering slightly. "Just think about it, Sonny. They would be right across the hall and I can keep my eye on them when you can't."

"I don't know if Courtney would go for it." Sonny reasoned.

"I'll talk to her about it. I mean it might be for the best. I do have all the extra space now that Penny's moved out." He said the last part quietly. Jason truly did love his wife and at one point he was sure that their marriage was good. Then he walked in on her on top of Marco and everything they had went down the toilet. No woman beside Courtney had ever hurt him so badly and there was no fixing that. If there was one thing he couldn't stomach it was betrayal.

"Penny still clinging on?" Sonny's voice was soft and met with a quiet nod.

"It's like she thinks that not signing the papers is going to make me fall back in love with her."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault…" He mumbled before turning to head towards the door. "Ask Courtney to stop by my place when she gets home."

* * *

Courtney watched in slight amusement as Carly sang along to the radio. Her long auburn hair flying about as she bobbed her head to the beat of some catchy pop song. The off key tune had been the only noise in the car since they pulled away from Harborview Towers about twenty minutes ago. Hannah sat quietly in the backseat her tiny eyelids drooping close. 

"I'm sorry if I offended you somehow this morning," Carly whispered and caught Courtney off guard.

"I just don't appreciate you trying to push me and Jason together. I mean God Carly, I haven't been home twenty-four hours yet."

"That wasn't my intention, Court." Carly replied firmly and was met with a look of disbelief and roll of the younger woman's baby blues. "I'm serious. You are going through a rough time right now and so isn't Jase. I just figured that maybe you could lean on one another for support."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I would rather deal with this by myself." The blonde assured softly.

"You can't keep this all to yourself, sweetheart. What Doug has done to you is wrong and it's only going to make it worse if you keep it bottled up."

"I don't want your advice on how I should handle my life, Carly! Believe it or not, I'm perfectly capable of making my own choices." Her voice came out as a strangled yell and she immediately checked to make sure Hannah was still sleeping in the backseat. Luckily, the little girl slept like a rock and only stirred slightly at the sound of her mother's anxious outburst.

"Fine. I'm sorry." Carly held up her hands in mock surrender before turning into the Port Charles Mall parking lot.

"Can we just not talk about it anymore." Courtney tried to smooth over the rift that was quickly forming between her and her sister-in-law.

"Sure. I feel the need to go on a major shopping spree, how about you?" Carly asked with much enthusiasm before turning off the car and reaching back to unbuckle her niece.

"That sounds like the best idea I've heard in a while." Courtney agreed exiting the car.

* * *

Olivia watched carefully as the boys fell asleep on the floor. They had spent the better part of the afternoon chasing each other around and it seemed to exhaust both of her male cousins. She, on the other hand, was still bursting with energy and had yet to find something to entertain herself with. She treaded downstairs quietly as so not too disturb her Uncle who was also asleep on the couch. _Does the whole family fall asleep simultaneously? _Olivia thought to herself before setting eyes on the half opened door. 

She looked back once more to make sure that her Uncle was still passed out before venturing out into the elaborately decorated hallway. Under normal circumstances, she would never let her curiosity get the best of her, but these weren't normal circumstances. She was in a new place and needed to find out more about her surroundings. The ding of the elevator caught hold of her attention and she waited patiently for the door to open. Maybe it would be someone she could hang out with until her mother and Hannah arrived home. She felt all the blood leave her face when she locked eyes with the man exiting the elevator. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound would leave her throat. It was like a bad movie, she wanted to run but felt cemented in her place.

"Hello Olivia. Where is your mother?" Her father's voice was cold as he advanced toward her. The young girl twisted her head in an effort to find some form of protection but nothing came to view. He was getting closer and clenching her fist was all she could do to keep herself somewhat calm. This wasn't suppose to happen. He was suppose to be out of their lives for good. She felt his strong hand grab gruffly at her wrist as she planted her feet in a weak attempt to withstand his strength.

Jason stalked out of his Penthouse. Penny had called yet another emergency meeting with their lawyers and Justice advised him to be there "just in case". He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed an unfamiliar hulking frame in the hallway just before the elevator. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed a extremely frightened young girl in his grasp. It didn't take long to deduce the fact that it was Olivia and upon further inspection he recognized Doug Brady.

"Get your hands off her!" His long strides placed him between the father and daughter and allowed him to break the hold that Brady had. He felt Olivia's tiny hands grab hold of the back of his leg, he quickly turned towards her and motioned for her to go back to Sonny's.

"Don't you move Olivia!" Doug's voice boomed and stopped the little girl in her path. She seemed so torn and Jason felt his heart break a little. Terror was evident on her cherubic face and he wondered how long the girl had been living in fear of her father.

"It's alright, sweetie. Just go get Uncle Sonny for me, ok?" Jason made his voice came out as soft as possible and he watched as she obeyed and rushed away.

"This is none of your concern, Morgan." Doug's breath was peppered with the scent of vodka and his dark eyes were blood shot. "This is my family and they are coming home with me."

"Like hell they are." Jason spat out and the comment elicited a look of rage of the other man's face. "This is private property and if you don't exit the premises then I will have to exercise my right to defend my home."

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do tough guy? Shoot me? I know all about you and your boss and if you know what's good for you then you will quit trying to keep my family from me." An air of arrogance filled his threat, which Jason easily brushed off.

"I want you off my property now. And so help me if you ever come near Courtney or her daughters again, I'll make you wish you were never born." The light haired man's tone was dangerously low and for a brief moment fear flashed in Brady's eyes.

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise." Jason assured just as Sonny came barreling out into the hallway.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"He was just leaving."

"He better be." Sonny lowered his gaze in disgust and was met with a cocky grin from his brother-in-law.

"I'm on my way out. Make sure to give Courtney my love." He finished with a wink. It took almost of all of Jason's strength to stop Sonny from lunging at Doug Brady.

"That rat bastard…"Sonny muttered as he paced back and forth in the small carpeted area.

"How's Olivia?"

"She's a little shaken up, but she's ok. Thank god that you came out when you did."

"Yeah. I'll double up security." Jason offered and a nod was his reply. "Nothing happened. Everything is going to be ok." He did his best to assure his boss before exiting on to the elevator.

* * *

**A/N**: Lyric credit goes to E-Town Concrete and their song _So Many Nights_. This chapter was most transistional, because I need a base for some of the events in the near future. I'm leaning towards having Courtney and the girls move in with Jason, but if you don't think it's a good idea let me know. I'm open to advice on the plot. Also on a happy note, the Red Sox are in the playoffs! That's going to keep me occupied so please don't expect many more updates until the post season is over. Thanks for reading 


	4. Lonely Road of Faith

**

* * *

Disclaimer: **I don't own anything… 

A/N 2: Alright, here we go…This fic is AU and set in the future. It contains an OC, which I've never used before, but is necessary for the story. Everything that has happened with Journey has occurred in this fic right up to the anniversary of the miscarriage.

Summary: Things aren't always what they appear to be. Sometimes, the "perfect" marriage isn't perfect. Who do you turn to when the world collapses around you?

**She Will Be Loved Ch. 4:**

_And if you just hold on, I wont let ya fall  
We can make it through the storms and the winds of change_

The soft knock resounded through Jason's nearly empty penthouse. The only remaining furniture was his pool table and couch with some other small pieces that Penny had not taken with her. The apartment was sparse, just the way he liked it. He returned home from his meeting with Penny and the lawyers early, unable to hear anymore of her pleading and begging. He forced himself out of one the barstools and crossed the short distance to the front door. He opened it to find a slightly frazzled Courtney. She seemed on edge which led him to believe that Sonny had informed her of Doug's visit.

"You wanted to see me?" She tucked a piece of her long blonde hair behind her ear.

"Yeah," he opened the door wider and motioned for her to follow him inside, which she did without a moment's hesitation. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She assured her in strongest voice, but knew that there was no fooling him. "Sonny told me that Doug stopped by and that you were here to greet him. I appreciate that. I'm not sure what I would have done if he took Via."

"You know that's never going to happen," he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and watched as her blue eyes clouded with tears that she desperately tried to hide.

"I just…Never mind." She let her lids slide close and a short sigh escape her pursed lips. "What did you want to talk to me about?" He recognized her shutting down. After all, he had done it himself on so many occasions that it was easy to spot.

"It can wait," he was trying not to put anymore stress on her, but could see that she wasn't going to give up that easily.

"I didn't come all the way over here for you to put whatever you want to say off."

"You came across the hall." Jason replied with a grin and watched her demeanor relax slightly.

"It's a long walk for me. I'm getting old." She returned with a smile. "Come on, talk to me." A slight poke to his side forced a small laugh from him. "Still ticklish there I see."

"Don't do it, Courtney." He warned lightheartedly and was met with a smirk.

"Do what?" Her index finger jabbed into his ribs which elicited another chuckle and a satisfied look across the blonde woman's face. "Oh that."

"Okay." He held up his hands in mock surrender before trying to piece together his offer. "I was just thinking that since Sonny's Penthouse is kind of cramped that you and the girls could move in her with me." Her face crumpled slightly.

"I knew that I was getting in the way. Did Sonny put you up to this? He couldn't tell me himself that we were cramping his family?" Courtney let the quiet rant spill from her lips and was met with a empathetic shake of her companion's head.

"That's not it. I came up with this all on my own. You know that your brother loves having you and the girls around." He tried and watched as his ex wife paced a small circle in his foyer.

"I'll just get my own place. That way there you can have your space and so can't Sonny."

"No way."

"Excuse me? Jason I am a grown woman and more than capable of taking care of myself and daughters." She stood taut with her hands on her hips in a show of independence.

"And where are you going to get the money? I'm sure that Doug has frozen all of your accounts."

"I'll get a job." She reasoned.

"And who's going to watch the girls?"

"I'll hire a babysitter."

"Protection?"

"I can't think about this all right now, Jase."

"You have to! What are you going to do if Doug shows up at your place? He's not going to take "go away" as an answer." He raised his voice and watched the look of indignation come across her face.

"Don't lecture me about my husband. I am very aware of what he's capable of. More so than you and Sonny." Courtney spat out.

"I just want to help you. I want to know that you as well as Hannah and Olivia are safe." She felt the compassion in his voice and immediately felt bad for lashing out.

"I want to know that too…"

"Then let me make sure of it. You know how good I am at being a bodyguard." He let the last part hang in the air as a reference to the first time he came to her aid. God, the stalking incident seemed like lifetimes ago.

"You promise that we want be in your way?"

"Only if you promise that I won't be in _your_ way." A nod was the only response that she had. Her emotions where coming to the forefront and she wasn't quite sure how long she would be able to keep them at bay. He reached out a shaky arm and pulled her deep into his embrace. His cologne invaded her nostrils, reminding her of times that he fought away all her fears with just a single touch. She wanted to collapse in his arms and let go of everything that she had been holding onto for seven long years, but wondered if that was even an option any longer. She had spent so long keeping her feelings to herself and never asking anyone for anything. Until now of course. Now, she needed her ex husband more than he could ever know and it made her nervous. What if it was too much for him to handle. Carly had told her that divorce with Penny was rough on him. Could she really let him deal with her pain as well as his own?

What she feared most was the fluttering in her stomach at the thought of living with him once again. God, she had just left her husband and was already feeling attraction to another man. _It's not just another man_, her mind reminded her. True her and Jason had a past together and what if that was why she felt so drawn to him. What if she was just reacting to the thought of a time when a man treated her like a queen.

"You okay?" His question jarred her momentarily before she looked up and offered him a weak smile.

"Yup. I was just thinking that I need to work on my billiard's game if I'm going to go back to kicking your ass on that table." She covered smoothly as she motioned to the dark green table a few feet away.

"Yeah maybe this time I won't let you win all the time." He scoffed and was given a slap on his arm.

"You never let me win!"

"Okay…" he looked away and was met with another hard smack.

"You didn't!"

"Well, if I remember correctly I don't think that we ever made it through a whole game. Something always seemed to distract us…" The second the comment came out of his mouth, he wished that he could take it back. "Sorry…"

"Don't worry about it. Those were some good times." The last part came out as almost a whisper and caught the couple off guard. "I should umm…You know start packing." She was out the door before he could reply. He let a small smile slide across his lips before quickly dismissing it. _That was a long time ago, Morgan_, he reminded himself.

* * *

Courtney leaned up against the hard cherry oak door quietly slamming her head against it. _What was I thinking?_ _I cannot make comments like that if we plan on living together on a purely platonic level. Do I even want to live with him on a platonic level? Of course I do. I'm vulnerable right now and I'm sure if things were different I wouldn't feel so drawn to him. Or would I?_

_

* * *

_

Carly entered the downstairs guest room in hopes of finding Courtney but instead was met with Olivia, who sat on the side of the queen sized bed watching her baby sister napping soundly next to her. She took this time to look at the young girl and was in amazement of how much she resembled her mother. Right down to the bright blue eyes and round face.

"Hi there," she greeted quietly and caught the five-year-old's attention. "My name is Carly. You met me a long time ago."

"Yeah. You gave me a piece of chocolate and Uncle Sonny yelled at you." Olivia recalled as if it was just yesterday instead of two years before.

"Yeah, well Uncle Sonny yells at me a lot. I just ignore him." She smiled.

"My dad used to yell at my mom." The little girl confided and Carly immediately kicked herself for not coming up with a better comment. "But mommy says that we don't have see him anymore."

"No you don't," The older woman let her eyes wander over to the sleeping two year and watched as Olivia brushed a curl out of the baby's face.

"I love chocolate, but mom says it makes me too hyper."

"What your mom doesn't know won't hurt her. How about me and you make a few glasses of hot coco." She saw the little girl falter and grinned in return. "I won't tell if you don't."

"Okay," Olivia finally agreed and took the outstretched hand that her aunt offered. "Can Hannah come too?"

"I think we should let her finish sleeping. She had a long day of shopping with me and your mom and that's enough to wear anyone out." Carly replied as she lead her niece down to the kitchen

* * *

Sonny slammed the phone down in a fit of frustration. He had just spoken to Justice to try and get a restraining order on Doug Brady, but to no avail. There was no way to bar a man from seeing his children unless both his wife and daughters took the stand to testify against him. He couldn't do that Courtney and the girls. It took all the courage she had to show up on his doorstep and didn't want to push her any farther for fear that she might indeed crack under pressure. _I'll just double up security,_ he tried to ease himself just as Carly and Olivia pranced by the open door.

"Hey!" He yelled to grab there attention and watched as they emerged on the doorway with mischievous grins on their face. "Where are you to going?"  
  
"The kitchen," Olivia answered.

"What for?"

"Uhh…carrots. Yeah this little girl loves her vegetables." Carly tried her best to lie but the smile in her eyes told her husband too much.

"I'm sure she does. Just don't give her too much sugar, dear." He tried, but knew it was useless as he watched the two females scamper out. There presence was replaced with his baby sister, who watched as her sister-in-law and daughter raced down the hall.

"What are they doing?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You don't want to know," he assured and was met with a nod.

"So, we are going to move in with Jason."

"Okay," he replied without hesitation. There was no one he trusted more than Jason and knew that he would guard the three woman with his life.

"You could have just told me that I was in the way…"

"You weren't in the way. I just thought that you might like more space than this place could allow." She nodded and he continued on. "I've added more security."

"I appreciate you wanting to take care of us, Sonny. I really do, but you have got to understand that I won't live my life behind bullet proof glass. My daughters deserve more than that." Courtney whispered.

"It's just for now until I can figure out what exactly Brady wants." He assured.  
  
"What makes you think he wants something?"  
  
"Guys like that always want something, Courtney."

* * *

**A/N:** I know I said there wasn't going to be anymore updates for awhile, but attribute it to nervous energy for game three tonight. Song credit goes to Kid Rock and his song _Lonely Road Of Faith. _Drop a line and let me know whatcha think 


	5. Dare You To Move

Disclaimer: I don't own anything…

A/N 2: Alright, here we go…This fic is AU and set in the future. It contains an OC, which I've never used before, but is necessary for the story. Everything that has happened with Journey has occurred in this fic right up to the anniversary of the miscarriage.

Summary: Things aren't always what they appear to be. Sometimes, the "perfect" marriage isn't perfect. Who do you turn to when the world collapses around you?

****

She Will Be Loved Ch. 5:

Maybe redemption has stories to tell. Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell. Where can you run to escape from yourself? Where're you gonna go? Salvation is here. I dare you to move.

Courtney stood quietly in the doorframe that lead to the parlor of Jason's Penthouse. She let a small smile creep on her face when she noticed Hannah and Olivia fast asleep on the couch with Jason smack dab in the middle. His own eyes were fluttering closed and Courtney took this as the perfect opportunity to just observe. It had been a little less than six months since they moved in and everything had been going surprisingly smooth. Jason had been more than accommodating and she often found herself wondering what she had done to deserve such an ideal man. He had bent over backwards to make the girls comfortable, even going as far as painting his guest room purple because Olivia asked him to. Jason _the enforcer_ Morgan has a purple room in his home, the thought alone made her giggle. Hannah absolutely adored him and spent every chance that she could snuggled in his protective arms. As for herself, well that was an entirely different story. 

Each morning she awoke praying that things wouldn't be the same. She hoped upon hope that the fluttering in her stomach would cease and she could view him as a friend and friend only, but that just wasn't the case. Instead, her attraction for him grew as he became more and more of a fixture in her and her daughter's lives. There was no explaining why she let herself have these feelings, but knew that they weren't going away. It was like a whole new longing that she wasn't accustomed to. It was so much different than the first time she fell for him, but yet oddly familiar. There wasn't a way to explain it except that she needed to be around him constantly no matter how much it hurt not to touch him or be able to express her feelings for him.

What would happen if she told him everything? Would he accept or run away in disgust? Could she really take that sort of chance? _Absolutely not,_ her mind screamed. She couldn't take losing him and neither could Hannah or Olivia. They finally had the respectable father figure they needed and what kind of mother would she be if she took that away?

"You alright?" Jason's quiet whisper fluttered through the air and quickly shook her out of the trance-like state.

"Just thinking…" She smiled and watched as he carefully slid out from under the girls. He contemplated moving them, but decided against it and reached for the afghan that lay lazily across the back of the black leather couch. He adjusted it ever so slightly so that each girl was wrapped in it's warmth before sliding past Courtney into the small galley kitchen. The soft brush of his arm across her chest sent a jolt of electricity that she tried desperately to ignore. _It's too soon for these kind of feelings._

"Want one?" He offered her a cool bottle of beer from the fridge. She shook her head and he shrugged as he cracked the one in his possession open. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…"

"Are you sure? You've been acting kind of weird lately. Doug hasn't tried to contact you, has he?"

"Nope," she assured. The sound of her husband's name sounded foreign to her ears. It had been months since they had spoken of him and even longer since he tried to interact with her. The last she heard of him was when he sent her the divorce papers three months ago. She had signed them and sent them back but was still waiting for it to be finalized. Each day the paranoia subsided, but never completely disappeared. She found it hard to believe that he would just pack it up and leave her and their daughters alone for good. It was odd, but she kind of hoped for the day that he would resurface because at least then she could stop looking over her shoulder on the street.

"Courtney?" Jason looked at her somewhat perplexed.

"Sorry. Was I zoning out again?" She felt her face redden with embarrassment, but quickly shook it off when he offered her one of he award winning smiles.

"He's never coming near you or those girls." He assured and she nodded half-heartedly.

"I know." She replied. "It's just…I worry. What if he's planning something?"

"Let him plan all he wants. You're with me now and don't think for a second that I would ever let Brady have the upper hand on you."

"You know when we first got together, he wasn't the slime that Sonny thought he was. At one point, he was a great guy and I'm sure he loved me." Jason stayed silent and waited for her to continue on. He knew that this was something she had to get out even if it wasn't something that he particularly wanted to listen to. "Then everything changed. Nothing was ever enough for him. I could care less whether he hurt me, but I was terrified of the day he would raise his hand to Olivia. Hannah, you know, she's still so young and would sleep right through it. But not Olivia. No, she would throw herself right in the middle of it and…"

"Stop it, Courtney." He reached out to wipe away the tears that were rapidly cascading down her cheeks. "You got out of there and that's all that matters." She nodded in agreement but that did little to ease her sadness. She felt his strong arms wrap around her shoulders in an effort to console her. Courtney had remained so strong since she returned and this was first time he had ever really seen her break down and talk about the tragic events of her marriage.

"This is stupid," she murmured into his chest. "I'm sorry." She tried to pull away but found herself still encompassed in his embrace.

"It's okay to cry every once in a while. I promise not to tell anybody." He said the last part lightly.

"Yeah well the same can be said for you, Jase."

"I don't cry, Courtney." He laughed and was met with a shake of her head.

"I didn't mean that, but you could stand to let go of the emotion you have bottled up in you," she reasoned.

"I don't have emotion "bottled up" in me."

"Don't try and lie to me, Jase. I know how much this thing with Penny is bothering you." She said, but was met with a shake of his head. Penny had finally signed the divorce papers, but showed up at the proceedings with a rock the size of Texas on the ring finger of her left hand.

"Marco proposed," Penny had informed him with a sly smile. "I said yes."

"Congratulations," Jason had managed to get out through gritted teeth before stalking out the door. He had told Courtney, but never elaborated on how it made him feel.

"Penny moved on. It's no big deal…" He tried.

"Bullshit."

"Damn it, Courtney! What goes on between me and my ex wife is none of your concern, so mind your own business." She was taken aback by the anger he directed towards her.

"Sorry. I was just trying to help."

"Well, when I want your help I'll ask for it," he growled before exiting. The soft slam of the front door signaled his departure from the Penthouse. Courtney stood in shock of the events that had just occurred. _What had she done?_ She only wanted to help him like he helped her moments before. She knew that he was never good at opening up to people, but for some reason she thought that maybe it would be different because it was her. At one point, he shared everything with her. 

However, that was a long time ago. Neither one of them were the same people that they were back then, which led her to believe that's what she was striving for. Maybe subconsciously she thought that one conversation could send them on a path to becoming what they once were. Naïve? Yes, but was it really that crazy? Was it really so wrong for her to want what they once had?

"Momma?" She noticed a sleep-eyed Olivia standing in front of her.

"What are you doing up, baby? You have school in the morning."

"I know. Where's Jason?" The little girl tried to search him out in the small room, but came up empty.

"He just went out for a little while. Let's get you up to bed." Courtney quickly changed the subject as she ushered her daughter in the direction of her bedroom.

"He said that he would read me a story."

"Well, how about I read you a story?" Courtney tried desperately to appease her eldest daughter.

"Will you make funny voices like Jason does?"

"I'll try," she assured finally getting the little girl on trek towards her bed.

* * *

Jason wandered along the empty streets of Port Charles. It was a brisk February night that left most other citizens curled up in the warmth of their homes, but not him. _Why had he snapped at her?_ _She was only trying to offer him some comfort._ However, he didn't want her comfort. He didn't want her to see his vulnerability. She had her own problems without having to worry about his as well. A sharp giggle caught his attention and out of the corner of his eye he noticed a happy couple walking out of Kelly's a few paces in front of him. Apparently, he wasn't the only person stupid enough to brave the cold. He felt his stomach turn with jealousy as he observed how joyous the two people seemed. The girl was snuggled deep in her boyfriend's embrace trying to ward out the cool air. 

For some unknown reason, memories of him and Courtney flooded his mind. Living with her was becoming more and more difficult. Every day he was faced with the hard task of trying discern what they once had to what they had now. There were times when it was as if they slipped back into married life and nothing had changed between them. That was usually when he had to take a step back and remind himself exactly how different things were, because if he didn't there was a good chance that he would take her into his arms without even thinking of the consequences. It was such a bittersweet situation that he was dealing with. He loved having her, Olivia and Hannah with him, but at the same time found himself wishing that they truly were his family. He couldn't help but feeling like a filler in place of their real husband/father. They deserved someone better than Doug to trace their roots too. At the same time, he knew that there was nothing he could do to change it, except offer them a life that Doug couldn't even if it meant losing himself in the process.

* * *

The Penthouse was dark when he finally slithered home. Jason had almost expected Courtney to be up and waiting. _Almost_. Deep down in the cackles of his heart he knew better. It was no longer her job to stay up all night and wait for him. A small crash caught hold of his attention leading him towards the kitchen. He reached around to the back of his waist feeling the cold steel under his finger tips. He quietly treaded across the parlor and stopped in front of the swinging door entrance to the dining area. He pushed it open just enough to sneak a peek and was pleasantly surprised to find Courtney rifling through the fridge. He could have walked away, gone to bed and finally put the hellacious day to rest. But something drew him towards the blonde. 

"Hey," He watched as she nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of another voice.

"Jesus Jason! You scared the shit out of me!" She turned around with an annoyed look on her face, which only caused a smile of delight on his own. "I didn't even hear you come in…"

"What are you still doing up?" He asked despite already knowing the answer.

"I was hungry," she answered lamely before turning back towards the counter.

"I'm sorry about earlier."

"Yeah, well I'm sorry for being too pushy."

"Truce?"

"Truce." She agreed with a smile before offering him half of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that she had just finished making. "You owe Olivia a bedtime story by the way. I tried, but she informed me that I was not nearly as good as you in the voice department. My wicked witch sounded too "nice" or something along those lines."

"Well you see, there's an art to storytelling." He joked.

"Oh yeah? Maybe you'll have to teach me someday…" She turned towards him with a grin.

"I'll never share my secrets," he bantered back.

"You used to share everything with me…" she replied lowly. The mood of the room changed in an instant as the air became thick with tension.

"You used to love me," he let the words slip past his lips without even thinking. He saw a look of shock come across her face and immediately wished that he could take it back.

"I still do…" She breathed with her eyes downcast. Long strands of blonde hair were blocking a complete view of her face, but he could see her cheeks reddening slightly.

"This isn't a good idea…" He whispered, carefully pushing her hair behind her ear.

"Then why does it feel so right?" Courtney asked with confusion as her index finger reached up to trace the outline of his lips. "I've been dealing with these feelings for so long now, Jase. I hoped and prayed for the day that they would go away, but it's nowhere in sight."

"Courtney…" He let her name linger in a weak attempt to stop his emotions from showing through. He felt the overwhelming urge to kiss her and try as he might he couldn't suppress it any longer. Before either could contemplate the consequences, his hands were running through her hair as she tore at the soft cotton of his shirt. "Bedroom," he managed to utter out between kisses.

There were no thoughts as they lay on his soft satin sheets a few hours later. Neither could say anything in fear of wrecking the moment and forcing the other to finally realize what had just occurred. Instead, Courtney stay encircled in his embrace trying her hardest not to think about her daughters who lay asleep on the floor above them. Jason in return forced away all the feelings of worry that were swirling in his stomach at the idea of losing the three women in his life that meant most to him.

* * *

**A/N:** I know it seems to be moving on a little fast, but I have big plans for the story and want to be able to incorporate them without turning it into a 60 chapter series. But knowing me, it will probably turn into that anyways... Song credit goes to Switchfoot and their fabolous song _Dare You To Move_. Feedback is always welcomed, so drop me a line. 


	6. Vertigo

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything…

**A/N 2:** Alright, here we go…This fic is AU and set in the future. It contains an OC, which I've never used before, but is necessary for the story. Everything that has happened with Journey has occurred in this fic right up to the anniversary of the miscarriage.

**Summary:** Things aren't always what they appear to be. Sometimes, the "perfect" marriage isn't perfect. Who do you turn to when the world collapses around you?

**She Will Be Loved Ch. 6:**

It's everything I wish I didn't know. Except you give me something I can feel.

* * *

The harsh glare of the morning sunlight invaded Jason Morgan's bedroom and settled directly on his face. He kept his eyes close in hopes of returning to slumber, but quickly deemed it impossible with the yellow glow beating down on him. He ran his hand over the right side of his bed only to find it empty. His heart fell to his stomach and he forced himself up. He did a quick scan of the room and found no remnants of her or the night before. He wasn't quite sure why he expected her to still be around. He should have known better. He should have known _her_ better.

He moved through his normal morning routine, showering, dressing, ect. All the while trying desperately not to overanalyze what exactly occurred between him and Courtney. He didn't want to acknowledge the flutter of his heart that her kiss provoked or the way he felt like he could just melt into her and everything would be fine. It was stupid falling into bed with her, but at the same time it seemed inevitable. It was impossible for him to just live with her as friends, and he was naïve to think that it could work any other way. He let out a sigh as he entered the kitchen and was delighted to find a pot of coffee brewing for him. Alongside the machine was a sheet of notebook paper with a short note scribbled across it.

**Jase, **

Took Via to school and then meeting Carly for coffee. Hannah is still sleeping. If you are unable to watch her, call my cell.

Thanks,

Courtney

As if on cue, Hannah tumbled her way into the kitchen with a sleepy smile on her face as she reached up to Jason. He chuckled before gathering her off the ground and placing her on the counter as he went about making himself a mug of coffee.

"What do you want for breakfast, sleepyhead?" He directed to Hannah who just giggled in return. "Cereal?"

"Coca Puffs!" She clapped her hands joyously.

"How about Corn Flakes?"

"Coca Puffs! Coca Puffs!" The little girl chanted and watched as Jason's resolve quickly crumbled.

"Fine, Coca Puffs it is." He placed the bowl of chocolaty goodness in front of her and watched as a smile lit up her face. "Just don't tell your mother I gave this to you." Hannah nodded in return.

Letting out a sigh, he reached for the manila folder on the corner of the counter that contained papers for work. He sifted through making mental notes of which shipments would be coming in and which would be sent out. He expected a search from the PCPD any day now. They showed up annually to ravage through each crate in the warehouse, but came up empty every time. Sonny and himself had gone clean about four years ago, each deciding that there was no life left for either of them in the underworld of Port Charles. However, there was no telling that to Port Charles's finest, Mac and Ric were convinced that they were still somehow involved in shady business. It was entertaining to watch their faces fall each time their searches found nothing. Jason considered it payment for all the trouble they caused.

"All done," he heard Hannah call as she pushed the bowl away from her with a satisfied smile.

"You were hungry, weren't cha?" He easily wiped away the milk from her mouth and threw the bowl in the sink. "All right, time to get you cleaned up." Courtney often left Hannah with him in the mornings and they had worked out their own schedule. After her bath, she would watch cartoons for an hour while he worked.

And thus was how their day went. Only there wasn't much work being done on his part today. The night before preoccupied his mind as he wondered what exactly Courtney was thinking and how they were going to work through this. He didn't like the thought of losing her, but at the same time exhausted every possible scenario with no other solution in sight. Last night reawakened every feeling for her that he buried and there was no way to force them back down again.

* * *

Courtney entered Kelly's with a sense of trepidation. She needed to talk to someone about Jason, but wasn't sure if Carly was exactly the right person. She loved her sister-in-law, but it was hard to get a non-biased opinion out of her. Her best friend had held on steadfast to the assertion that she and Jason belonged together and even though the years had dulled it, her belief was still inside of her begging for the chance to reemerge. And her Courtney was, giving her that chance. 

"Hey." Speaking of the devil. Carly sat a few feet away waving her over with a large smile illuminating her graceful facial features. "Is everything ok?" 

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" The blonde answered a little too quickly.

"You sounded a little frazzled on the phone."

"No I didn't," Courtney tried. "I just wanted to meet with you for coffee."

"Why?"

"I didn't realize it was a crime to want to spend time with my sister-in-law/best friend," she replied with an annoyed shrug.

"It isn't, but there's something more going on. You're forgetting that besides Jason, I know you better than anyone." Courtney felt her face redden slightly at the mere mention of her ex husband/roommate. "Oh, this is about Jason isn't it?" Leave it to Carly to hit the nail on the head without even trying.

"We slept together," the younger woman blurted out. So much for discretion.

"What?" Carly's high-pitched screech caught the attention of most of the other diners, who raised questionable eyebrows. "You mean Ed McMahon sent you a check for a million dollars?" The brunette easily recovered. It elicited a forced laugh from her counterpart as both women waited for everyone to go back to what they were doing. "Sorry. So, tell me everything."

"There's nothing to tell. It just kind of happened…"

"Things like that don't "just kind of happen", Court."

"Fine. We got into a fight about Penny," Courtney watched her best friend make a disgusted face at the mention of Jason's ex wife. "He walked out. He came home a few hours later and we apologized. And then I don't know…one minute we were laughing and the next we were kissing. It was strange."

"Good strange or bad strange?" Carly prodded.

"A little of both," Courtney admitted. "I shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't be having these feeling for him."

"You have _feelings_ for him now?" The blonde threw her excited companion an exasperated glare.

"I don't know. It's just…"

"Just what, Courtney?"

"When I'm with him, there's no pain. He makes me feel good about myself again." She confessed with tears in her eyes.

"You make it sound like a bad thing." The brunette replied with confusion evident in her voice.

"Don't you see, Carly?" She was met with a shake of the head for a response. "Jason and I should never be anything more than friends, the past proves that. And now, Hannah and Olivia are going to lose him because I acted selfishly. I only thought about me and what I wanted. I've ruined everything."

"First of all, take a deep breath." Carly placed her bony hand on top of her friends in an effort to offer some comfort. "You haven't ruined anything. You and Jason are different people than you were seven years ago."

"Some things never change, Carly."

"Yeah like the immense amount of love that Jason has for you." She retorted and was met with an angry glare. "You know what I think?" Silence. "I think you're scared. I think that you are completely ass backwards in love with your ex husband and that scares the shit out of you."

"You're delusional. Jason deserves so much more than I can offer him." Was the only response that Courtney had. It was a lame and unsuccessful attempt to get Carly to back off.

"My God, Court. Doug really fucked you up." Pause. "The girl I used to know believed in love and everything that came along with it. She would fight 'til the death for it."

"That girl doesn't exist anymore." Courtney bit back.

"Yes she does. It's just a little harder for her to come out of her shell." The blonde's attention was diverted to the ring resounding through the thin black leather walls of her purse. She offered Carly an apologetic smile before reaching to grab it. The number to Olivia's school flashed on the screen and she could feel her heart leap into her throat.

"Hello," she did her best to control the shake in her voice.

"Ms. Matthews?"

"Yes."

"This is Jane Land from Port Charles Prep, your daughter's school." The woman's tone came off snotty and arrogant.

"Is Olivia alright?"

"She's fine at the moment, but we have a man in our office trying to sign her out of school. He claims that he's her father and is flashing documents that force us to release her into his custody."

"You haven't let her go with him, have you?" Courtney could feel herself spinning into a panic. Carly reach over and placed a comforting arm on her shoulder with a questioning look.

"No we haven't, but the papers say…"

"I don't care what the "papers say", just don't let him take her. I'll be there as soon as possible." She slammed her phone shut and was heading out the door in a matter of seconds.

"What's going on?" Carly called trying to keep up with her friend's long strides.

"Doug's is trying to take Via out of school."

"Oh my God."

"What am I going to do?" Courtney mumbled more to herself than her companion, but was met with an answer anyways.

"I'm going to call Sonny and Jason, ok?" Before an agreement was reached, the brunette was already opening her cell phone and dialing ferociously.

* * *

Jason had just finished reading Hannah a story when an anxious rap impeded on his door. He looked at the young girl by his side and gave her a comforting smile before going to greet the rather annoying visitor. He noticed Sonny's unsteady state immediately upon opening the door. The man's normally clear dark eyes were clouded over in a look of worry, which caused Jason's veins to ice over as he glanced over his shoulder at the young blonde, who watched in curiosity. 

"Bring her over to my place. Leticia will look after her." Sonny ordered gently and watched as the younger man did just that. All the while he whispered words of assurance into her ear. Promises of being back soon and that everything would be all right helped to ease Hannah's worry. The older man waited until they were settled into the sleek SUV before briefing Jason on exactly what was going on.

"Doug's at Olivia's school. Carly and Courtney are already on their way there. Carly mentioned that Courtney was pretty upset and thought it would be best if we were there to you know… He's got some sort of legal document with him. I have Justus meeting us there as well."

"Right," Jason agreed. However, his mind was a million miles away. _Don't think for a second that I would ever let Brady have the upper hand on you. _His words from the night before mocked him as his stomach twisted in guilt.

* * *

**_A/N:_**  You didn't think I was really going to let Doug fade into the background, did you?  Credit goes out to U2 for their song _Vertigo_, who's lyrics I used at the beginning of the chapter.  Let me know whatcha think... 


	7. I Wanna Be There

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything…

**A/N 2**: Alright, here we go…This fic is AU and set in the future. It contains an OC, which I've never used before, but is necessary for the story. Everything that has happened with Journey has occurred in this fic right up to the anniversary of the miscarriage.

**Summary**: Things aren't always what they appear to be. Sometimes, the "perfect" marriage isn't perfect. Who do you turn to when the world collapses around you?

**She Will Be Loved Ch. 6:**

You wouldn't know that I was there, because I have been there all the time and if I had my way I'd hold you in my arms and leave this madness all behind. Cause you got so much to give, but you throw it all away and all you got to show for who you are is pain.

Sonny and Jason entered the main office of Port Charles Prep like men possessed. The secretary who greeted them seemed nervous by their determination and could only point down the hall to their desired destination. As they walked in long strides, neither man said a word. Both were preoccupied with thoughts of how they were going to stall until Justice arrived. The attorney had called them on their way to the school and offered an excuse of being called into judges chambers, but promised to get to the there as soon as possible. Sonny gave Jason an uneasy look as he pushed open the door that was suppose to lead to them to Principal Lane's office.

Instead they were met with a small waiting area where Carly and Olivia sat in the corner. Carly was trying fruitlessly to ease the young girl's fears and let out a sigh of relief when she recognized her husband and best friend. Olivia bolted from her seat and ran straight into Jason's arms, burying her head into his stomach as tears fell from her large blue eyes.

"Don't make me go with him. Please Jason. I promise not to fight with Hannah anymore and you can paint my room back to the color it was before. Just please let me stay with you and mom." She begged, her words muffled by the fabric of his shirt. Jason could feel his heart breaking as he tried desperately not to fall apart in front of her.

"Everything is going to be okay, babe. I promise." It was the last bit of comfort he could offer her before signaling for Carly to come and get her. It was no easy task for the petite brunette to detach the girl, but she managed to so with a little help from Sonny. Jason offered the girl he considered his own one last smile before disappearing through the door.

* * *

Courtney stood squared off against Doug in the posh office that was Principal Jane Lane's. Olivia was placed outside with Carly doing her best to entertain the young girl. It felt like hours since she arrived at Port Charles Preparatory School and hoped and prayed that Sonny and Jason would soon be there to help in this war that Doug had all of a sudden decided to wage on her. She took in her ex husband's appearance, a confident smile spread across his lips as his dark eyes taunted her with laughter. What judge in the world would award custody to him? She had read the papers very carefully and they demanded that Courtney turn over Hannah and Olivia to their father, citing unsafe living conditions as the reason. 

"Why are you doing this?" Her soft voice pleaded with him for a reason.

"I just want **my** daughters to be safe," he replied throwing the principal a concerned look that the elder woman ate up.

"Since when do you give a shit about those girls?" Sonny's voice boomed through the office startling all three of the inhabitants. Courtney saw Jason creep in behind him and as if on instinct she gravitated towards him.

"Who are you?" Principal Lane demanded her arms crossed and eyes narrowed at Sonny.

"This is my wife's brother." Doug answered quickly with a wry smile. "I'm sure you've heard the name Corinthos in the news a few times before."

"Or she might have seen it on one of the numerous checks I've written for this place. Hell, my donations practically funded the entire west wing." Sonny shot back with a grin.

"Of course, Mr. Corinthos. I'm sorry that we've never had the pleasure of meeting. I'm still quite new here." Lane's backbone immediately turned to jelly before everyone's eyes. "I wish the circumstances could be different…"

"So don't I." Sonny agreed taking the woman's hand in his own and offering her one of his award winning smirks. Jason watched the interaction in some sort of amusement. Leave it to Sonny to have a 50-year-old woman eating out of the palm of his hand.

"Okay that's enough. I want my daughters and I want them now!" Doug's voice dripped with annoyance as he tried to clear a path through the crowded office.

"You can't have them." Courtney spoke up. Fear overtook her stance and without thinking Jason took her hand in hopes transferring some of his strength onto her. The gesture was not unnoticed by Brady who immediately zeroed in on the touch.

"Get your hands off my wife, Morgan." He spat out.

"I'm not your wife anymore, Doug!" Courtney screeched and was met with a look of shear arrogance.

"According to the courts you are."

"What?"

"I think the divorce papers got misplaced or something…" Doug informed her innocently and watched his wife's face turn a shade of red he'd never seen it take before. It satisfied and slightly worried him to some degree. Courtney would never dare cross him when she was alone, but now she had those two bone-headed thugs backing her up and there was no telling what kind of support they would offer.

"Why, Doug?" The blonde took a step towards him. "Did you not ruin my life enough when we were married? You wanted to come here and prove that you can take what I love most to finish me off?"

"Well, technically our marriage is still ongoing…" He reasoned looking her straight in the eyes. "And while I know it's hard for you to contemplate, not everything is about you, sweetheart. Did you ever consider that maybe I don't want my daughters around them and the lives they lead?" He pointed to Sonny and Jason in disgust.

"They're safer with me than they ever will be with you," Jason spoke in a low annoyed voice.

"I do believe that's up for the court to decide. I'm sure that the judge will love to hear about your job. Hit men do make such lovely parents."

"I'm a coffee importer," Jason replied with confidence.

"Now you are, but I'm sure the instinct to kill isn't buried too deep below the surface just waiting for a chance to reemerge. I bet you can feel it rising up right now. Can you barely resist the urge to put a bullet in my brain at this precise moment?" Doug's arrogance rose within each word as he closed in on Jason. Courtney knew what he was doing and prayed that he would not fall into the trap. A death threat wouldn't look good to any judge.

"Are you trying to provoke me?" Jason finally spoke as the tension started to decrease slightly. Sonny stood by his sister a worried look taking over his once complacent face.

"I'm just saying what you wish you could. Let's face it, Morgan. You've hated me since the day I took her away from you." He pointed to the blonde with a grin.

"Doug…" Sonny's voice was low and warning, but easily shook off as Jason's eyes narrowed on Brady. Before a word could be spoken, Justice entered looking slightly winded.

"Sorry I'm late…" He managed out between gasps of air. "I got here as fast as I could."

"We appreciate that…" Sonny handed him the legal documents that Courtney had placed in front of him on his arrival. The young attorney looked over them carefully, trying to find any form of a loophole.

"Who's this?" Doug's voice rose in anger.

"Mr. Brady, I assume?" Justice looked to Jason, who nodded. "I'm Justice Ward, Miss Matthews attorney."

"Actually it's still Mrs. Brady." Doug replied with a sly grin and ignored the handshake that Justice offered.

"Whatever. These papers have no jurisdiction in Port Charles, New York."

"Excuse me?"

"You got these papers in the state ofCalifornia through the California court system. If you read the fine print, you will see that these papers are only valid in the state that they were ordered in. And while my geography isn't great, I do know that New York is not a part of California." The attorney said the last part with a grin. "At this time, I'm serving you with a restraining order that demands you stay at least fifty yards from Courtney and her daughters. You have a great day."

Before Doug could respond Justice spun on his heel and walked out of the office, quickly followed by Sonny, Jason and Courtney.

"What just happened?" Doug looked at Jane Lane in confusion.

"I believe that you just got beat, Mr. Brady." She returned with a smile.

* * *

Carly looked at the quartet expectantly as they entered the small waiting area where her and Olivia had stayed. The young girl had passed out a few minutes before, the emotional distress obviously wiping her out. 

"Everything okay?" The brunette asked hopefully.

"Yup. Let's just go home." Courtney replied as she picked her daughter up and carefully adjusted her as not to wake up the sleeping child. She threw the three men a thankful smile over her shoulder.

"I'll see you at home." Theblonde whispered intoJason's ear as she followed her sister-in-law, who was already half way towards the car. Justice waited until both women were out of earshot before speaking.

"The restraining order should hold for at least a couple of days. Until then, I'll start preparing in case he wants a custody battle. I'm going to need to sit down with Courtney and both of the girls."

"Sure," Sonny agreed. His mind was racing at the thought of possibly losing his nieces that he had just started to understand and know.

"Jason," the attorney's voice was low. "Keep your eye out for Brady and if he comes anywhere near the Penthouse, call the police. Do not under any circumstances handle it yourself, ok?"

Justice plea went unnoticed by the other man, whose steely blue eyes were focused on the Doug, who had just emerged in the waiting room. The tension was enough to suffocate all four occupants in its blanket. Sonny moved quickly to force Jason out the door and far away from Brady. Just as they were out the door, an unnerving comment stopped them in their tracks.

"Tell my daughters that I love them and Daddy's coming for them."

"You don't love them! You only care about them because you can use them to get back at Courtney." Jason spun around forcing himself into Doug's face. "You will not hurt them. I won't allow it, Brady."

"We'll see about that," he scoffed pushing past Jason with his head held high.

* * *

Carly moved through the quiet Port Charles streets with ease. She was worried about Courtney and her nieces, but also had her own life to worry about as well. And her life was filled with trying to reopen the Cellar. She had closed it about five years ago when her father was back in town and she was trying to get her life in control, but now seemed like the perfect time to pursue it once again. The boys were well past the ages where they needed to be babied constantly and her marriage was smooth. She needed a little excitement in her life. As she pushed through the door, her heart jumped to her throat. 

In the middle of the dance floor stood a sharp dressed man. A large grin was spread across his face as he took in the brunette. She seemed surprised by his prescience, but he wasn't sure why. He had always promised to return to her. His work had called him away right when there relationship was beginning to develop, but deep in his heart he knew that she would wait for him. No matter how far apart they were, a connection like theirs doesn't just fade. And looking into her dark chocolate eyes, he's sure that it's still there and strong as ever.

"Hey there beautiful. Miss me?" Carly searched his eyes trying to decipher what exactly he expected from her, but they were impossible to read. Oh God, how is she going to explain this to Sonny? How is she going to tell him that the man she had silently held out hope for is marching his way back into her life?

"Steven…"

* * *

The door to the Penthouse swung open and Courtney was relieved to see Jason entering. It had been hours since she returned home from the school and she was beginning to worry that he was out doing something crazy. She took in his appearance and immediately noticed the weary look that took up residence on his stoic face. 

"Where are the girls?" His voice is soft as he looks around the room for them.

"I put them to bed. They were a little shaken up, but they are okay now."

"What are you still doing up?" Courtney wasn't exactly what one would call a night owl. He often made fun of her going to bed at 8:00 pm and sometimes even earlier. She would just shrug it off and murmur something about liking to wake up with the sunrise.

"I was waiting for you. Where have you been?"

"Nowhere special." It's not much of answer, but she realizes that it's the only thing he is willing to give up.

"Thank you for coming to the school today. It meant a lot to have you there." She informs him hoarsely. He shrugged off her appreciation uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry Doug's back in your life."

"Me too, but what can you do?" She replied. "I'm not going to let him take Hannah and Olivia."

"Let's just hope that it doesn't come down to that."

"I called Justice. He's drafting a new set of divorce papers." She's not sure why she feels the need to tell him that. "I'm going to make sure they get finalized this time."

"If that's what you want…"

"Of course that's what I want." She affirms. "Are we okay?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" He avoids her question and her eyes at the same time. He tried to move past her, but she stood in his way.

"Jason," she stops in an effort to form her next thought.

"You don't have to say anything." He successfully made it half way up the stair before her soft voice lingered in the air.

"I don't regret it." She is standing with her back to him. "Not for a second, Jase."

"I'm not going to be the reason why you lose your daughters. Doug is going to use me against you." He whispers.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to us and any judge in the world will see that." She tries, but he's unconvinced by the statement. "I can't lose you right now." There was something so broken in her voice and it made Jason sick to his stomach.

"I'm not going anywhere…" He moves back down the stairs and towards her. Her delicate frame is trembling when he takes it into her arms. "We'll get through this together."

"Promise?"

"Promise," he agrees placing a soft kiss on the crown of her head.

* * *

**A/N:** Steven? I realized that I hardly ever have any Sonny and Carly angst in my stories. Plus, I'm sort of intrigued by Steven Webber. I'm not sure how that's going to develope yet, but I'll figure it out. I do believe I promised some Journey goodness and I always make good on my promises. More is on the way along with morecrazy Doug, because I love writing him. It's a guilty pleasure of mine.Oh yeah and song credit goes toBlessid Union of Souls for their song, _I WannaBe There._Leave me a review and let me know what you think. 


	8. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything…

**A/N 2**: Alright, here we go…This fic is AU and set in the future. It contains an OC, which I've never used before, but is necessary for the story. Everything that has happened with Journey has occurred in this fic right up to the anniversary of the miscarriage.

**Summary: **Things aren't always what they appear to be. Sometimes, the "perfect" marriage isn't perfect. Who do you turn to when the world collapses around you?

**She Will Be Loved Ch. 8:**

I'm walking down the line that divides me somewhere in my mind. On the border line of the edge and where I walk alone

Carly hadn't realized that she actually managed to utter his name until he nodded and came closer towards her. She reached out to feel his face to make sure that this was in fact real and not some caffeine induced dream. His skin was soft to her touch and she felt her lips tremble slightly. Tears clogged her throat, but she refused to let them fall. Before she could comprehend anything, Steven took her into his arms. She remained rigid in his embrace. _This is wrong. You're married._ Her heart refused to listen to reason as it swelled slightly at the tenderness of his touch.

"You have no idea how good it feels to be back here," she heard him mumble into her hair. "I've missed you so much."

"When did you get back?" She forced herself away and tried to ignore the crestfallen look that came across his face.

"A few hours ago. I saw a sign advertising the reopening of the Cellar and knew you'd be here." He explained.

"Nice detective work. My dad teach you that?" Her tone was peppered with bitterness, but he easily shook it off.

"Ha ha. I haven't talk to your father in ages," he affirmed.

"Yeah neither have I. He hightailed it out of town the second he realized that he couldn't use me anymore."

"I'm sorry."

"No your not."

"Yes I am. I would never wish any pain upon you, Car." He whispered cupping her face in his strong hands." "I love you." And with three simple words something inside her snapped. She felt an overwhelming rage begin to boil in her stomach.

"Where the hell do you get off saying something like that?"

"It's the truth."

"Oh yeah? You loved me so much that you went three years without even so much as a fucking postcard?" The petite brunette began to pace the area in an effort to remain somewhat calm. "You could have been killed and I would have had no idea."

"I'm sorry." His tone was low. "I just didn't know what to say. It was awful over there. You have no idea what war is like." Steven had been called on to work as a surgeon with the US army over in the Middle East. Carly had begged him not to go, but he felt obligated and left with promises to write and return home safely. Only one of which was fulfilled. "I saw things that no one should ever have to witness, let alone treat. I was in a very dark place. It felt wrong to drag you down with me."

Carly could feel her resolve crumbling as tears began to take over his normally clear and bright eyes. She wanted to be angry again. Tell him that she no longer needed him, but deep down she knew that wasn't true. If nothing else, Steven was a friend when no one else was and he had pulled her back from the brink when her and Sonny broke up. He held her together through all the cold nights and made her brave enough to face each new day with a smile on her face.

"The only thing that kept me going was you. I knew that one day I would make it back here. Back to you and everything would be right again." He stopped when he caught sight of the ring that weighed down her left finger. Carly immediately tried to hide it, but it was too late and the damage was done. "You're married?" She nodded in return, but did not offer a verbal answer. "Who?" Silence "Who, Carly?"

"Sonny…"

* * *

The darkness encased her room and for a moment the young girl felt trapped. Suffocating under the weight of her own consciences. She let her eyes wander across the room to where her younger sister slept peacefully seemingly without a care in the world. She was envious of Hannah and her obliviousness. She wanted that naivety again. She wanted to transfer back to a time when she believed that no harm would come to her or her family, but that hope had been sorely lacking for years. 

Letting out a sigh, she quietly slid out of bed. Her bare feet padding along the hard wood floors of the hallways was the only noise in the otherwise silent apartment. She had been doing this for as long as she could remember. When the nights became a little too cold and stressful, she would walk aimlessly around in order to calm herself. It usually worked wonders, but tonight was different. No matter how many steps she took, she couldn't erase her father's snide face from her memory.

It had thrown her through a loop when he showed up at her school this morning. What if Jason and her mother had not been successful in their attempt to save her? Could she really stand living with him again? Could she really protect Hannah from his vicious screaming? Everything had been going so well. She loved her new family and they treated her better than anyone ever had, excluding her mom.

Her precious mother that saw the good behind the silence because she was the only one that ever took the time to look for it. Her father was quick to cast her aside while in her tender young years, even going so far as to have her checked out for mental retardation, because he could understand why she never had much to say.

The truth was that she had a lot to say, but it was never anything he wanted to hear. Jason and her Uncle Sonny always wanted to listen. She would ramble to them for hours about things that happened at school or the show she had just watched at on TV. The shell (that she had promised herself long ago would never break) started to crack until it was just a million pieces surrounding her on the ground. Was it finally time to start gluing it back together?

* * *

Sonny looked at the door willing it to open and reveal his wife. It was getting late and she had yet to return home from the Cellar. He understood why she needed to do this, but at the same time did not care for all the late hours that came along with rebuilding the club. As selfish as it sounded, he didn't like sharing her. He missed having her around when ever he needed. Hell, he even missed her endless chatter about nothing. There was something about her that made his life fuller and brighter. The years they spent apart had taught him that he was nothing without her love.

He stilled remembered the late phone call that beckoned him to Jakes. He was engaged to Sam at the time, but still ran out the door the second he found out that Carly needed him. He entered the smoke filled bar to find her sitting in the last stool with tears streaming down her face. She was mumbling incoherently about Steven being shipped away and how she was going to be all alone. At first, he had no idea how to comfort her. He reached out and pushed a dark lock out her eyes and his heart stopped. Even as a drunken mess, she was breathtaking. Without thinking, he pulled her into his arms. It was strange to comfort his ex wife, who was crying over another man. The sharp pain that ran through his heart that night is still vivid in his mind.

He helped her home and watched as she stumbled up the stairs and fumbled with the lock to her small cottage. Just before entering the house, she spun around and offered him the brightest smile she could muster. That was another thing that had stuck with him from that night. No matter what, she tried desperately to protect him from everything even herself.

The next few weeks had passed by without a hitch. His wedding day approached and his interaction with Carly became less and less. She sent her mother drop off the boys and didn't return his calls. It hurt, but he knew why she needed todistance herself. He could never watch her marry someone else and wouldn't expect her to be able to do it for him.

The day of his nuptials finally occurred. It was a rainy day and thunder clapped through the sky that blanketed Port Charles. Just as the words "I Do" were about to escape his lips, the church doors sprang open. In true Carly fashion, she pushed her way through the guards causing the largest scene she could manage. A look of horror contorted Sam's facial features and he wondered if his ex wife could have planned it any more perfect. She professed her love for him in front of all the guests that were expecting the union of Samantha McCall and Sonny Corinthos not the reunion of Caroline Benson and Sonny Corinthos.

How could he say no to her when she stood in front of him, droplets of water dripping off her hair and cascading down her face. Sam must have understood, because without a word she stepped away from the altar and marched back down the aisle she had emerged from only moments earlier. His mind screamed at him to chase after her. But his heart kept him in place looking into his ex wife's soulful gaze. Right then and there, he realized that he would forever be a goner when it came to Carly. There was nothing he would ever be able to do that couldpush her off the pedestal that she held in his heart. And he was okay with that, finally.

They had been together ever since that day and he couldn't be happier. Finally, there was no more drama surrounding their relationship. It was only them and that's all he ever needed.

* * *

Jason felt Courtney snuggle her head deeper into the crook of his neck. A warmth overtook his body as he realized how she still managed to elicit the same butterflies in his stomach as she had so many years ago. He carefully moved a strand of her long blonde hair to give him a better view of her face as she slept peacefully. It felt strange to be so close to her again. He had always fantasized about the day that they would reunite, but they were just fantasies. Never in his life did he think he would have to chance to right all the wrongs that he done to her in the past, but here was his chance and he would be damned if he lost her again. 

"Why are you staring at me?" He heard her mumble.

"I was just thinking about how beautiful you are."

"Yeah, I'm sure I look very sexy with drool all over my face." She laughed sleepily.

"You always look sexy to me," he assured as he tightened his hold around her waist.

"I bet I do," she retorted. The beeping of his cell phone immediately called attention to the object on his dresser. He let out growl while getting out of bed and moving across the room. "Do you ever turn that thing off?" She whispered in annoyance. "I was enjoying you showering me with compliments."

"Hello," he answered the phone while throwing his ex wife an amused look.

"Jase, I'm very sorry to bother you this late." Justus's deep voice came through the earpiece.

"Don't worry about it. Is there something wrong?"

"Yeah I'm afraid there is," the lawyer let out a sigh before continuing on. "Doug has filed papers through the New York court systems. He's dragging Courtney into a custody battle…" Jason felt his heart plummet. He knew Doug wasn't going to give up, but somehow didn't think that it would happen this quickly. "I'm going to do everything I can Jason, but it's not going to be easy. Brady is a well-respected businessman. It's going to be hard to paint a picture of him being a wife beater, especially since no incident was ever reported."

"I know. I appreciate you calling and letting me know."

"Sure. Do you want to tell Courtney or should I?"

"I will," Jason answered before hanging up the phone. His mind raced about how he was going to break this to he ex wife/new girlfriend. He searched out the large window in an effort to find some sort of answer or maybe he was just trying to avoid the woman who remained lounged in his bed. He didn't want to turn around, but Courtney beckoned him to.

"Everything all right?" Her voice was light and carefree and Jason felt sick to his stomach. He looked into her bright eyes and felt his throat begin to constrict.

"That was Justus. We have a problem…"

* * *

Carly rushed through the streets on her way home. She looked at her silver Rolex that Sonny had given her for her birthday. She prayed for the high-class watch to be wrong and that it wasn't really close to 3:30 in the morning. She had spent the better part of the night trying to explain to Steven why exactly she returned to Sonny, but he didn't understand. She could still her his voice ringing in her ears when she told him who her husband was. 

"How could you?" He raked his hand through the sandy locks that suited him so well.

"You don't understand. Hell, I don't even understand."

"Sounds like a good base for a marriage."

"However fucked up it is, I love Sonny. He has been my constant." She replied through pursed lips.

"Yeah a constant asshole to you." He grumbled in return and she shot him an annoyed look.

"You think you know everything, don't you?" She didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "Sonny and I have done some crazy shit to each other, but he has never once abandoned me. He has always been there when I needed him the most, even if it ruined his whole life."

"It's always going to come back to me leaving isn't it?"

"Well Steven, it was a pretty big deal."

"I did what I had to do and I'm not sorry, Carly."

"I never expected you to be, but understand that I don't regret what I did in you absence," she could feel her strength returning to her voice.

"Do you love him like you love me?"

"Excuse me?" Carly felt her voice crack. So much for that strength.

"You heard me. Do you have the same connection with him that you had with me?" His intense eyes prodded at her and for once in her life, Caroline Benson was speechless. Tension mounted between the two and there was nothing she could do to ease it.

"I don't know," she willed away the tears that burned in the back of her eyes.

"I think you do. I think that you are afraid of the answer."

"Thinking was never your strong suit," she forced a laugh, but the same serious gaze rested on her. "Please don't make me do this."

"I'm going to go, because I don't want to force anymore stress on you. I'll be at the Port Charles Hotel if you ever work up the courage to say the truth that lives in you heart." He dragged his index finger across her chest before placing a soft kiss on the corner of her lips.

A cold wind swept her into Harborview Towers as she tried to ease her scattered mind. She didn't love Steven like she loved Sonny or did she? Why was that one simple question impossible for her answer? She rested her head against the cool metal of the elevators as tears came to the forefront of her eyes. The elevator came to a stop and just as the doors opened she was met face to face with her husband 

"I was just coming to look for you. How come your cell phone was turned off?" She didn't say anything she stared aimlessly at him. "Why are you crying?" She didn't have an answer, but instead collapsed into his arms praying to feel what she had felt hours before when Steven held her in his embrace.

* * *

**A/N:** So much Carson angst. I love it! Song credit goes out to Greenday and _Boulevard of Broken Dreams_. Oh and a shout out to Sunny. You're right I was spelling Justus's name wrong, thanks for letting me know. 


	9. Toy Soldiers

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything…

**A/N 2:** Alright, here we go…This fic is AU and set in the future. It contains an OC, which I've never used before, but is necessary for the story. Everything that has happened with Journey has occurred in this fic right up to the anniversary of the miscarriage.Summary: Things aren't always what they appear to be. Sometimes, the "perfect" marriage isn't perfect. Who do you turn to when the world collapses around you?

**She Will Be Loved Ch. 9:**

Step by step, heart to heart, left right left. We all fall down like toy soldiers  
Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win. But the battle wages on for toy soldiers

"What kind of problem?" Courtney shrieked. Jason didn't say anything instead chose to look to the floor. How was he going to do this? "Jason?"

"Doug filed some papers…"

"What kind of "papers"?"

"Custody papers," Jason whispered and watched as Courtney slid out of bed and began pacing the area. She was mumbling incoherently to herself. He went to comfort her, but was shoved away with a sigh.

"Does he have a good case?" She asked with her back still turned away from him.

"I'm not sure."

"What does Justus think?"

"I'm not sure."

"Are you sure of anything, Jase?" She practically screamed at him and was met with a frustrated glare.

"What do you want me to say, Courtney?" He threw back in annoyance. "It's hard to prove a guy is an abuser without a shred of evidence."

"You think I'm lying?" Her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"No."

"But you think it's my fault for never reporting anything," she elaborated.

"I think you did what most people would do if they were in your position" He tried to smooth over, but his ex wife was far past making pleasantries.

"Yeah, but not what you would have done, right?" She growled.

"Courtney…"

"Forget it, Jason." She pushed past him out the door. He watched as she went, knowing it was useless to try and follow her.

* * *

Carly breathed in the scent of Sonny's expensive cologne. It reminded her of happy times when all she needed was him to be okay. Those times were long gone she had come to realize, but did it mean that they couldn't be again? Could she really walk away from Sonny to give Steven a chance? So what if her husband didn't make her heart skip a beat or breath catch in her throat? He offered her comfort and fought away all her fears. Shouldn't that be enough? 

"Tell me what's going on," his voice was low and brought her back into reality. Taking a deep breathshe found herself in a moral dilemma. Honesty or lies? Honesty would probably hurt Sonny and therefore hurt herself in the process. Lying, while not the most valiant way out, would save her husband the heartache. After all, what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"Nothing is going on. I just had a rough night. You know the reopening is starting to get really stressful," she lied easily. He nodded in agreement, but had a hard time completely believing her story. Carly was never really that great of a liar, her eyes gave her away. He could see everything in her dark chocolate orbs, but decided not press. She would come around eventually. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.

"Let's just go to bed," he replied ushering her towards the penthouse. She didn't say anything, just nodded in agreement. "Carly?"

"Sonny."

"I love you," he whispered placing a soft kiss on her cheek. Shame came over the brunette when she realized that she could not force the same words out of her own pursed lips.

"I know you do, baby." She replied after a beat and headed towards the bathroom to get changed into her pajamas. Sonny was left alone in the center of the parlor somewhat disheartened.

* * *

Courtney padded out into the small galley kitchen. She had spent the better part of her night tossing and turning with worries burdening her mind. She lashed out at Jason because she was scared and he did nothing but add on to her fright. His lack of direct answers led her to think that Doug may actually have a chance of taking Hannah and Olivia from her. What would she do if that happened? Could she really function without her daughters? 

"Ma!" Her thoughts were shattered by Olivia's call.

"What's up, baby?" Courtney asked as she turned to find her daughter tapping her foot impatiently in the entrance of the kitchen.

"Do you know where Jason is? He said that he was going to take me to school today." The little girl readjusted the strap of her pale blue messenger bag that matched perfectly with her school uniform.

"Did you check his room, sweetheart?"

"Yeah. It was empty." She replied quietly and Courtney felt her stomach churn slightly. A knock at the door caught both females attention.

"Miss Matthews." Johnny greeted. Courtney let a small smile come across her face.

"What's up?"

"Mr. Morgan called." He answered and watched as the blonde's disposition eased slightly. "Told me that I have the privilege of taking Miss Olivia to school." Johnny had a soft spot for all the kids that took up residence in Harborview Towers. Carly and Courtney liked to believe it was Leticia's influence on him and Sonny and Jason usually tended to agree.

"You hear that, babe?" Courtney asked Olivia with a grin. "Uncle Johnny is going to take you to school."

"What about Jason?" The young girl asked somewhat disappointed.

"I'm sure he has a very good reason why he can't."

"Whatever," Olivia mumbled and her mother's heart broke a little.

"Hey come on, I betcha if you ask nicely Johnny will stop and get you a donut."

"With sprinkles?" A hopeful look came across the child's face.

"As long as there's chocolate underneath those sprinkles," Johnny jumped in and watched as the girl's face lit up.

"There ya go." Courtney leaned down to give her daughter a kiss on the cheek. "Have a good day." She waited until Olivia was half way down the hall before turning her attention to Jason's head guard.

"Where is he?"

"I have no idea." He answered.

"Bullshit." Courtney bit back and watched as the man shook his head in response. "He doesn't go anywhere without you knowing."

"Alls I know is that he called me about a half and hour ago and asked me to take Olivia to school. Said he was handling some business and wouldn't be home in time." The blonde sighed in return. "I'm sure he's fine. Mr. Morgan is a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them."

"Thanks, Johnny." Courtney smiled. "Make sure she only has one donut."

"I'm not responsible for what she eats behind my back." He returned with a grin and left to meet Olivia at the elevator.

* * *

Jason wandered through the residential streets that made up sunny Eureka, California. He wasn't quite sure why exactly he felt the unwavering need to investigate the place where Courtney and her daughters called home for the last seven years, but hoped that his search wouldn't come up empty. It was his experience that in small towns (such as this one) everyone knew each other's business. Port Charles was a shining example of that fact. Someone had to have heard something, anything that could help strengthen Courtney's case that Doug was indeed a bad man. 

He came across a small coffee shop located in the center of town. Letting out a sigh, he pushed open the door. Maybe he should have waited until he had a full night's rest before embarking on his detective mission. He took a seat at the counter. The worn out stool was less than comfortable under his bottom, but it did offer his feet some relief.

"What can I get for ya, dear?" He looked up to find a waitress a few years past forty grinning wildly at him.

"Uh…Can I just get a cup of coffee?" He was slightly taken aback by the brightness of her deep red lipstick coupled with enough foundation to spackle a home. The woman looked as if she was ran over by Mary Kay's pink convertible.

"Sure ya can." She returned pouring the steaming black liquid into the mug set before him. "I've never seen you here before. New?"

"Yeah, I'm just passing through…" He didn't offer any details and she didn't ask. Instead the waitress's attention was taken by a group of men entering. Their laughter rang through the otherwise quiet diner.

"Hey Bridgett. How about a couple of coffee's over here." A tall man greeted as the rest of his companions took seats at a nearby table.

"How about a "please", Dale?" The waitress returned with a grin.

"Now."

"Well since you put it so nicely…" Bridgett mumbled. "Hey aren't you missing someone today?"

"Oh yeah, Dougie." Dale answered, which caught Jason's attention. "He's off chasing down that wife of his."

"Poor girl." Bridgett groaned. "Hasn't he done enough to her already?"

"Oh come on, Bridge. I'm sure it's not as bad as you think." Another man spoke up and Jason watched as the waitress shook her head enthusiastically.

"Do you know what their neighbor, Miss Potter, told me?"

"You can't believe anything that old bat says. She wants everyone to be as miserable as she is." Dale replied.

"She told me that she used hear Courtney crying and Doug screaming at her. Even called the cops once." Bridgett continued on, ignoring Dale's remark. Jason didn't wait to hear the rest of the conversation before dropping some bills on the counter next to his half empty coffee cup.

"Oh sweetheart, the coffee is free here." Bridgett went to hand him his money back, but he refused.

"Just keep it for yourself then."

"There's like thirty dollars here. I can't accept that. All I did was pour you a cup of coffee."

"That's not all you did, " Jason replied quietly before exiting the diner.

* * *

Carly entered Jason and Courtney's Penthouse without even knocking. She found Courtney seated on the couch reading the morning paper and Hannah crawling around the floor in search of her favorite stuffed animal. 

"Thank God you're here." Carly exclaimed, crossing the room to join her best friend on the sofa.

"What's up?" Courtney greeted without looking up from the paper.

"I'm in big trouble, Court."

"Whatever you did I'm sure Sonny can fix it." The blonde answered absentmindedly.

"Okay can you focus on me for a second?" Carly ripped the paper out of the other woman's hand.

"Fine, I'm focusing."

"Steven's back." The brunette blurted out.

"What?"

"He showed up at the Cellar yesterday and he kissed me!" Courtney watched as her best friend rose and began pacing the room.

"Okay. So did you tell him that you were married?"

"Of course I did!"

"What did he say?" The blonde pried and noticed that her friend carefully avoided her gaze.

"I don't know…"

"Carly, I can't help you if you're not going to give me anything to work with."

"He told me what I already know."

"What's that?"

"That eventually every road will lead back to him…" Carly confessed before collapsing on the couch next to her stunned best friend.

* * *

Sonny entered his office with a sense of worry. Jason had called an informed him that he wouldn't be in today and when asked for an explanation he didn't offer one. Not that he didn't have complete faith in Jason, but things were very tense these days and he couldn't risk something happening to his best friend. It was suppose to be a slow day with only a few shipments coming in, which meant he would have plenty of time to analyze what was going on with Carly. 

His wife was a very complex woman and until last night, he was sure that he had finally figured her out. But now he wasn't so sure. She was hiding something from him, that much was obvious. But what could she possibly keep from him? They were finally at a point in there relationship where everything was out open and it was like Carly wanted to close all the doors that had taken years to open. It was disturbing to say the least and he felt helpless. Losing her was not an option and ifhe made her feel even the least bit alienated, that's exactly what would happen. The years had transformed his wife into a stronger woman than he ever imagined she could be. A woman that would have no problem walking away from him if it came down to that. A tap at the door caught his attention and looked up to find Max standing uncomfortably in the entranceway.

"Boss?"

"What's up?"

"There's someone here to see you." Max replied.

"Who?"

"Steven Webber…" The guard answered nervously. Sonny felt his blood run cold at the name. So this is what Carly was hiding.

"Send him in." Just as the words escaped his lips, Steven was in the office. He stood confident, but Sonny could smell the fear that emanated from his body. If there was one thing he was good at it was sniffing out cowards and right now Dr. Webber reeked.

"Corinthos…" He greeted as he tried in vain to sound authoritative.

"What are you doing here?"

"I think you know why I'm here." He shifted his weight and looked Sonny square in the eyes.

"You better watch your step, Doc." Sonny replied with a grin. "You won't talk down to me in my place of work."

"I didn't come here to fight with you."

"I'm not sure why you're here in the first place, but I do know that this is private property and you're trespassing." The dark haired man taunted.

"You going to call the cops?"

"Only if you make me."

"Well then let me cut to the chase." Steven ran a shaky hand through his curly locks.

"Please do." Sonny prompted with a roll of the eyes.

"Carly is a good woman, Sonny. And I will have her again whether or not you like it."

"What makes you so sure about that?"

"Because she loves me. I know you can feel it as well." He replied with confidence.

"You're delusional." Sonny tried to dismiss him.

"Come on, you know there's something off. Her kisses aren't as passionate as they used to be." Steven took a moment to take in the other man's facial expression. "I'm right aren't I?" No response, which led him to continue one. "Well guess what, Corinthos."

"What?" He growled.

"That thing that's holding her back…it's me."

* * *

**A/N: **So my Steven is a little character, but I felt that I had to make him a little more aggressive and devious in order to fit the triangle that I'm trying to build. Don't worry, I'm not going to make him into a villain. Just a little darker than he is portrayed on the show. Also, I don't know the first thing about Eureka, California. So if I'm describing it wrong, Sorry. Song credit goes out to Eminem and his song _Toy Soldiers_


	10. All Because Of You

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything…

**She Will Be Loved Ch. 10:**

"I'm not broke, but you can see the cracks. You can make me perfect again"

-U2

Jason wondered towards the small beat up house on the corner of Tremont St. The shack appeared out of place surrounded by up scale suburban homes. He pushed open the worn gate that enclosed the weed filled front yard. The hinges creaked slightly and caused Jason to cringe. Still, he pressed on until he made it up the rickety stairs to the clutter filled front porch. This woman never met a piece of junk she didn't like. He raised his hand to knock just as the door swung open. A small older woman peered at him from behind the screen door. Her grey eyes showed a look of defiance.

"I have a huge dog…"She growled. "Mean, too. He'll eat a chump like you for breakfast." Jason bit back a laugh and held his hands up in surrender.

"Ma'am, I'm not here to harm you…"

"Yeah, well you've been warned." She returned and Jason nodded. "What do you want?"

"My name is Jason Thimes, I work for the Eureka Gazette." He had prepared this spiel on the way over from the diner. Somehow, he figured Ms. Potter wouldn't be forthcoming with information if he was just some average Joe off the street. "I'm doing an article on Doug Brady." He motioned to the house next door. "Unfortunately, he's not around to do our interview, must have got the time mixed up or something… So, I'm asking around the neighborhood to see if anyone has any stories they would like to share."

"What kind of article?" The elderly woman seemed skeptical.

"Oh you know, just highlighting his philanthropy and ties to the town." Jason replied with a smile.

"And my name will be in the paper?"

"If you have anything you would like to say."

"I always wanted to see my name in print," she mumbled more to herself than to the young man at her doorstep. "Please, come in."

* * *

Carly entered the Penthouse to find Sonny sitting on the sleek leather sofa. Something in his eyes made her stop and a lump form in her throat. _He can't possibly know,_ she reassured herself. She played it cool and walked past him to the wet bar. His eyes were on her as she poured a tall glass of water and sipped it gently. 

"Where are the boys?" She asked quietly.

"With your Mother." He answered tightly. "I won't play second fiddle, Carly."

"What are you talking about?" Her voice shook slightly. _How the hell did he find out so quickly?_

"Don't play stupid with me, dear." Sonny boomed. "I had a nice little visitor today. The good doctor sends his regard by the way."

"It's not what you think…" She quickly backtracked.

"I'm not sure what to think, so why don't you enlighten me?"

"He just showed up at the club the other night. I was going to tell you…"

"No you weren't." Sonny laughed. "What did you think you could stay married to me and have him on the side?"

"Of course not!" Carly growled. "Sonny, you're my husband."

"But not your true love, right?" He returned. "You reserve that spot for Dr. Webber."

"I don't know how I feel about Steven." The minute the words left her mouth, she knew it was a mistake. "You're going to take that the wrong way…"

"How am I suppose to take it?" Sonny yelled as he began to pace the small area.

"And here we go," the brunette mumbled to herself.

"Why don't you go figure out how you "feel"?"

"What?"

"I'm serious." He emphasized. "Go spend all the time you want with him. Hell, fuck him for all I care."

"Stop it!"

"Stop what? Giving you what you want? Giving you a free out?"

"So now you decide what I want?" Carly was now pacing as well. "You have some nerve Michael Corinthos."

"You're one to talk, Caroline." Silence. "Just know, I won't be here when you get back." His voice was low and his departure signaled the end of the discussion.

* * *

Courtney opened the door to find Justus standing on the other side. The lawyer held tightly to his briefcase and offered her a soft smile. The blonde had silently hoped that it would be Jason instead, but to no avail. Her ex husband had yet to call and worry was beginning to creep up on her. What if something happened to him? He was by himself. God, what if their last conversation was an argument? 

"Ms. Matthews?" Justus deep voice broke her out of concentration.

"I'm sorry," she quickly apologized and pulled the door open to allow him access. "How's the case going?"

"Ok…" His voice trailed off which led her to believe the worse. "I think it's best if we begin to prepare early. Especially with the girls. Going up the stand is never easy…"

"Going up on the stand?"

"Jason and Sonny didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"The best chance you have of keeping your daughters is if they testify to the fact that they do not want to be in the custody of their father." Justus explained carefully.

"So let me get this straight," Courtney began. "My daughters need to get up in front of a room full of people and choose their mother over their father.

"Essentially? Yes."

"Absolutely not." The blonde replied firmly.

* * *

"Tea?" Ms. Potter smiled sweetly, but Jason declined the offer.

"So, how long have you been living next to Doug Brady?" He began casually.

"Almost seven years. He and that wife of his moved in just before their first child was born."

"Do you get along?"

"Only because we have to." She replied in disgust. "Shouldn't you be writing this down?" She noticed the lack of paper and writing instrument that a reporter should have."

"I have it all up here," he replied as he motioned to his brain and was met with a skeptical look. "So his wife, any idea where she is? "

"Can I tell you something?" The woman looked over her shoulder carefully before dropping her voice. "Off the record?"

"Of course." Jason grinned.

"She ran away."

"Really? Why?"

"Because she got tired of being Brady's personal punching bag." The woman muttered in disgust. "Poor girl, she was always sweet to me."

"How can you be sure that he hit her?"

"Because I heard it." She replied confidently. "Even saw it once, too."

"Yeah?"

"Yup." She pulled him towards the window that gave a full view of the Doug Brady's living room. "I heard screaming and went to check it out. Normally, I mind my own business."

"Of course," Jason nodded in mock agreement.

"Anyways, I see Brady throwing his wife around like she's some rag doll."

"You call the police?"

"Sure did."

"And what happened?"

"What do you think happened?" She didn't wait for him to answer before continuing on. "Nothing, that's what. Brady's a real piece of work. Controls most everyone in the town. Has them eating out the palm of his hand, but not me. No, I know better. He's a piece of scum. And that you can put in your little article."

"You've been very helpful, Ms. Potter." Jason made his way towards the exit. He'd gathered all the information he could from this woman.

"Wait. When is the article coming out?"

"Next month…" He lied. "Be sure to look for your name in bold letters."

* * *

Olivia listened to the muffled yelling downstairs. She couldn't be sure who her mother was fighting with, but it seemed heated. She tried to drown it out and focus her attention on braiding Hannah's hair. 

"Olly?" Hannah's voice was soft.

"What's up?"

"Are we going to have to go and live with daddy?" She asked.

"I hope not." Was the best answer Olivia could muster.

"Me too." She agreed. "Do you think Jase could be our new daddy? He's nice."

"I'm not sure. But don't get your hopes up."

"Why? Does Jason not like us?" Her lower lip began to tremble.

"No of course he does." Olivia reassured. "But we can't expect him to drop everything to take care of us. That's not how it works."

"How does it work?"

"Never the way you want it too." She finished braiding the girl's hair and guided her towards the mirror.

"Olly, it's so pretty!" She clapped happily, which brought a smile to her sister's face. "Can I show mommy?"

"Not right now," Olivia replied as the voices were still rising downstairs. Hannah nodded in return and her eyes fell to her feet.

"Can I tell you something?" Her voice was just above a whisper.

"Sure."

"I'm scared of Dad." She confessed. "I wanna stay with Mommy and Jason forever."

"I know you do." The young girl placed a comforting arm around her little sister's shoulders. "Just remember, no matter what: You'll always have me."

"Pinky swear?"

"Pink swear." She promised as the two girls locked fingers.

* * *

Carly entered the club in a daze. She didn't know where else to go. The fight with Sonny caught her off guard. She didn't expect him to find out so quickly, but he did and now she was lost. A day ago, she would have thought that she could leave her husband behind without a second thought. Sonny had done horrible things to her in the past. Things that Steven would never dream of doing. But as she saw him today, things weren't so clear cut. He had thrown away everything for her. His chance of having a normal life with Sam as well as his career in the business were all sacrifices he made for her. What had Steven done to prove his love? Besides leaving her to worry for three years and going behind her back to ruin her marriage. God, how could she let things become so muddled? 

"Penny for your thoughts?" She looked up to find him with a grin lightening up his boyish figures.

"You need to stop trespassing," Carly returned wearily. "What do you want, Steven?"

"I just stopped by for a visit."

"You come here straight from Sonny's?" She growled.

"No. I stopped to have a bite to eat first."

"Right. All the scheming must have caused an appetite."

"What "scheming"?" He asked.

"You knew exactly what was going to happen when you saw Sonny." She accused. "Tell me, does it feel good to know that you've single handedly ruined my marriage?"

"I didn't do anything you didn't want me to." He replied as he moved closer towards her.

"I never asked you to do that."

"You didn't need too." His lips were inches from hers and she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks.

"I love my husband." She told him defiantly.

"Then why are you here with me?" His kiss caught her answer. She could feel his hand roam through her hair and tried to pull away, but did not have the full energy to break the embrace. Steven moaned softly and despite her best efforts, she did too. The kiss was coming to an end when she heard footsteps. Footsteps that unmistakably belonged to one man.

"Am I interrupting something?" Sonny's voice cut through the tension. And just like that, Carly knew that it was over. She just lost the one man who loved her for who she was.

* * *

Jason hung up the phone with a sigh. He stepped onto the elevator and tapped his foot impatiently as it climbed story after story. He had gone down to the Eureka Police Department and been stone walled. Tired of playing fair, he made a call to an old friend on the plane ride home. He was sure to have all the information he needed faxed to him by the morning. The ding of the elevator signaled the arrival at his floor and he stepped out just as Justus was stepping on. 

"Everything ok?" He asked nervously.

"You need to talk to Courtney." He replied with a tired sigh. "She's refusing to let the girls take the stand at the custody trial."

"I knew she would." Jason replied. "I have some paperwork coming to me. I'll send it your way once I look at it."

"What kind of paperwork?" The lawyers asked skeptically.

"Hopefully, it will expose Brady for the rat bastard he is." The door closed and Jason made his way towards the Penthouse. He took a deep breath before opening the door, he could only imagine the mood Courtney was going to be in.

"Glad, you could make it home." She greeted from her spot in the kitchen doorway. "Phone broken or something?"

"Didn't think you would want to hear from me anyways."

"It would've been nice to know that you were ok."

"Well, I'm ok." He did a little spin, but she remained unamused.

"Justus was here."

"I know."

"How come you didn't tell methat my daughters were going to have to testify?" Her voice rose. "Did you think that I was going to be ok with it? Were you and Sonny even going to give me a choice in the matter?"

"Of course. I was just waiting for a good time." It was a lame excuse and they both knew it. "I know you're worried, but everyone is doing everything they can to help you, Court."

"Really?" She laughed. "And what were you doing today that was so helpful? Because it looked to me that you were doing what you always used to do, running away. I mean that's you favorite, right? When we would get into a fight, walk away. Solves everything, doesn't it? Screw it if you made plans with Olivia today, right? Screw it if I needed you."

"You really want to know what I was doing all day?" His tone dripped with anger. "I was wandering around the hell hole you referred to as home for seven years. I was rubbing elbows with your crazy neighbor in an effort to get something that will help your case. Sorry I wasn't here for you to take out all your frustrations on, Courtney." She stood stunned.

"You went and talked to Ms. Potter?" She whispered. "She's not very nice."

"Yeah. That's an understatement." He returned. A silence fell between them for a short time.

"I'm sorry, Jase." She finally broke it. "I know you're trying."

"You need to calm down." He ordered softly.

"Easier said than done."

"Yeah, but things are only going to get worse if you don't take a step back. Olivia and Hannah need you right now, Court." Jason reached out and ran a hand through her hair. "You've got to keep it together for them."

"I will," she assured firmly and settled into his embrace. "You didn't like Eureka?"

"I've seen cemeteries that seem more welcoming."


	11. Breathing

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing.

**A/N: **So, I'm back. I won't offer any useless excuses, but I do apologize for the lack of updates. I hope that this installment is somewhat worth the wait.

**She Will Be Loved Ch. 11:**

_I know that I hurt you and things will never be the same_

_----_Yellowcard

"Please, carry on." Sonny's cold voice echoed through the tense area. Carly swallowed the lump that had quickly formed in her throat upon her husband's arrival. She looked to Steven, who seemed to have a satisfied grin on his face. Sonny's footsteps signaled his departure.

"Shit." She grumbled and felt Steven's hand wrap around her wrist. She threw him a disgusted glare in return. "Get your hands off of me."

"Don't be like that, Carly. Things are going to go much more smoothly now that he has seen us." He replied confidently.

"Smoothly?" She croaked out. "Are you out of your mind, Steven? I just lost my husband."

"But you have me." He answered.

"That's not enough…" She mumbled before releasing herself from his grasp. She looked towards the exit then back at the curly haired doctor she once loved. "I'm sorry." And that was all she said before rushing out.

* * *

Olivia paced silently in the dark hallway outside her room. She wasn't quite sure what had made her so restless tonight, but knew that this was best way to ease her jittery nerves. The cool hardwood floors felt refreshing underneath her bare feet. The clock on the wall told her it was close to midnight. Her mother and Jason had gone to bed hours ago and Hannah had been snoring like a baby since eight. In just a few more minutes, she would officially be six years old. Yet, she hardly felt like any other girl her age. She wrapped her skinny arms around herself. She wasn't sure what was bothering her more: that she might end up back with her father or that Jason seemed to be turning into the man she hated. Maybe she was just being sensitive, but she noticed the small changes in him. He had ditched her without an excuse or even an apology. Nowadays, she noticed the stress that took up the residence in his eyes that had once remained carefree and light. He rarely had time for her and Hannah. Of course, there was none of the abuse that characterized the time spent with her father. But what if that was the next step? What if it was only a matter time? Surely not every man is as cold and cruel as her father, right?

"Hey." Olivia jumped in spite of herself. She hadn't heard anyone rise, but was awfully deep in thought. "What are you doing out of bed?" Jason's low timber echoed in her head. He looked tired and worried. She wondered if it was her that had instilled the worry in him, but soon thought better of it. He didn't care enough about her to actually worry. Besides her mother and Hannah, no one really loved her. Everyone who said they did was posers. Fakers, who wanted to worm their way into her heart. But she refused to allow it. Last person she trusted broke her and she would not take part in that kind of pain anymore. She had thought that Jason was different, but clearly she was just being naïve. "Olivia?"

"I couldn't sleep…" She mumbled as she continued to pace. She didn't bother to look at him, but heard a soft sigh escape his lips.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Then why are you pacing in the middle of night?" He continued to prod.

"I told you, I can't sleep. This is what I do when I can't fall asleep." She replied with a slight edge in her voice. "I wasn't bothering anyone."

"I didn't say you were." He watched her carefully. Jason had never seen Olivia act this way.

"So, why don't you leave me alone?" She looked him directly in the eyes, hoping he would realize that she meant business.

"Look, I know you are mad at me---"

"I'm not mad at you." She cut him off mid-sentence. "I don't let people I don't care about affect me."

"So, you don't care about me, now?" Jason asked in disbelief.

"My mom and Hannah like you a lot, ok? So, I'm not going to ruin that for them." She stared at her feet.

"I'm sorry about yesterday morning," He tried but she brushed him off.

"Don't worry about it. I'm used to that happening." She took a deep breathe. "I just thought you were different. Looks like the joke is on me."

"I'm not like your father, Olivia." Jason stated sternly. "Do not shut down on me because I made a mistake."

"Whatever..."

"I'm serious, sweetheart. I never meant to hurt you." She shrugged his hands off her shoulders.

"Don't call me that, ok?" She growled. "I'm not your sweetheart. Hell, I'm not even your daughter. You don't owe me anything and I don't owe you anything. My mom, she loves you and I know you love her. I respect that, but do not expect me to believe that we are going to be one big happy family."

"Olivia…"

"I'm fine, Jason. Really, I am. I'm not upset with you so you can rest easy." She shot him a tight smile. "I'm actually a bit sleepy now. So, I'm going to head to bed. Goodnight." She didn't even wait for him to reply before disappearing into her room. Jason was left wondering how one little girl could become jaded so quickly.

* * *

"Wait, Sonny!" Carly had finally caught up to him outside the club. She never knew how fast her husband could walkand needed to stop and catch her breath as he looked at her uninterestedly. "I'm so so-rry." She managed to stutter out between ragged breaths. "Steven means nothing."

"Save it, Carly." He replied lowly. "I saw all I needed to see when I walked into that room tonight."

"What you saw was me being completely irrational and stupid."

"And that's different from 'everyday Carly'?" He shot back dryly.

"Can we please be serious?" She growled. "I don't know what I was thinking, ok? I just needed to be sure…"

"It's not the fact that you were kissing another man." Hurt shone in his dark orbs. "It's the fact that you needed to do it to make sure you loved me."

"Sonny…"

"Well, you have your answer." Carly could feel tears rushing down her cheeks.

"I do. I love you more than I could ever love anybody, Sonny."

"That's not enough for me, Carly." He sighed and his fingers fluttered to his temple. "I don't care whether you continue to stay at the Penthouse, because the boys don't need to go through another one of our breakups. Just know, as far as I am concerned, I don't have a wife anymore and you no longer have a husband."

"You don't mean that." Her voice quivered.

"Does it look like I'm joking?" He face was set in stone. "I'm too old for this shit, Carly. I'm though letting you hurt me."

"What about all the times you have hurt me, Sonny?" She was reaching. "Huh? I stuck by you through everything."

"That is your stupidity, my dear." He clicked his tongue before walking away. He was only a few yards away when a tear dropped from his eye. He was just happy that his back was turned and Carly never saw it. Yet, he could hear her weeps in the distance and realized that for the first time in his life, he had done the right thing.

* * *

Courtney hummed softly to herself as she went about preparing breakfast. She let a small yawn escape her lips as she flipped another pancake. She hadn't slept very well thanks to Jason's constant tossing and turning. She wasn't quite sure what made him so uncomfortable, but didn't want to ask. She just attributed to jet lag or something. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Olivia enter the kitchen.

"Happy birthday, babe!" she greeted. "I've got pancakes, bacon, and orange juice. All of your favorites." She was about to prepare a plate, but watched as her daughter shook her head.

"I'm not very hungry, mom." She replied. "Thanks, though."

"Come on, Via. You've got to eat something." She tried, but watched as the young girl hoisted her bag onto her petite shoulder.

"I'm going to be late for school." She crossed the room and kissed her mother on the cheek.

"I love you."

"Love you, too." She returned and was about to exit the kitchen just as Jason was entering. He offered her a smile and she nodded in response. "Olivia?"

"Yea?"

"Don't forget about shopping when you get out of school."

"I can't wait," Olivia grumbled before exiting room.

"You ok?" Jason noticed the look of disappointment on Courtney's face.

"She didn't eat her breakfast." Courtney mumbled as she continued flipping pancakes aimlessly.

"Maybe she just wasn't hungry…"

"No, you don't understand. This is her birthday breakfast. Olivia always eats her birthday breakfast." The blonde explained carefully. "Even when things were really bad with Doug, her birthday was always good. I would make her breakfast and then we would go shopping…" She sniffled slightly.

"Hey," Jason wrapped her in his arms. "I'm sure you are reading too much into this. I'm going to watch Hannah and you guys are going to go and do your shopping thing. And everything will be fine."

"I hope so," Courtney whispered into his chest.

* * *

**A/N: **Song credit goes to Yellowcard. I know this chapter was kind of short, but I assumed it was better than nothing. Send a review if you would like. 


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